Try this great artichoke soup recipe by Chef Eric that takes the taste buds on a delectable journey.

Gently fry the shallot in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and artichokes for 30 seconds and moisten with the stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for around 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the bacon slices on parchment paper and bake it for about 40 minutes between 2 cookie sheets, or until golden brown and crisp.

When the vegetables are soft, blend until smooth then stir in the hazelnuts and cream. Bring to boil and top each serving with some of the crispy bacon pieces that have been patted dry, and sprinkle some hazelnuts around on the top.

With its botanical name as Cynara scolymus, that is derived from the Latin canina, meaning canine and the Greek skolymos meaning thistle, the English name of the artichoke is taken from the Arabic word al-khurshuf that also means thistle, which was converted to articiocco in Italian.

As a native to the Mediterranean region, the artichoke belongs to the sunflower family and is the edible flower bud of a thistle-like plant and is eaten as a vegetable. The fall of Rome veiled the importance of the artichoke, but it was revived during the 15th century in Italy.

Introduced by Catherine de Medici who was married to King Henry II of France, the artichoke regained its popularity and was introduced in Britain where it was termed as artichoke and was mentioned in the English records in the 15th century. The artichoke was later taken to America by Italian and French explorers. California, Italy and France are known for producing commercial artichoke crops.