Artichokes à la juive or “carciofi alla giuda

during my stay in Rome, I discovered this specialty and loved it.

Artichokes à la juive or “carciofi alla giuda” are a typical accompaniment to the cuisine of Lazio, and Rome in particular. A simple dish that brings out the flavor of the artichoke.

A recipe that’s hard to get enough of once you’ve tried it. We served it with sweet potato fries and gribiche sauce.

Born in the Jewish ghetto of Rome in the XVIᵉ century, artichoke à la juive is an emblematic dish of Judeo-Roman cuisine.

In the Cinquecento, frying was associated with poor cooking, as opposed to the use of lard or butter.

Jewish artichokes were prepared to break the fast of Yom Kippur or for the Jewish Passover of Pesach.

Spring vegetables symbolize renewal, while the artichoke represented the bitterness of life in Egypt.