Giant Artichoke, also known as the World's Largest Artichoke, is a large sculpture of an artichoke in Castroville, California, commonly referred to as the "Artichoke Capital of the World". It is located adjacent to the New American cuisine-serving restaurant of the same name. It is made from concrete and rebar.[1][2]
| Giant Artichoke | |
|---|---|
 The sculpture in 2009, next to the restaurant | |
| Artist | Ray Bei |
| Year | 1963 |
| Medium | Concrete and rebar |
| Subject | Artichoke |
| Dimensions | 20 ft (6.1 m) tall 12 ft (3.7 m) wide |
| 36°45′45″N 121°45′11″W / 36.7624°N 121.7530°W | |
History
editRay Bei, the owner of a roadside restaurant and vegetable stand, built the sculpture in 1963.[1][2][3] He was the son of a local artichoke farmer and found a way to convert the crop into a tourist attraction. Bei's fruit stand still stands next to his restaurant as of 2015.[4]
Restaurant
editThe restaurant next to the sculpture, also called the Giant Artichoke, serves a variety of artichoke-themed dishes, including deep-fried artichoke, steamed artichoke, roasted artichoke, artichoke pizza, artichoke dip, artichoke bread, artichoke cupcakes, and artichoke nachos.[2][3]
References
edit- ^ a b "Artichokes, California Grown". See California. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ a b c "World's Largest Artichoke". World's Largest Things. Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ a b "World's Largest Artichoke". Roadtrippers. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ "THE WORLD'S LARGEST ARTICHOKE: Get All Choked Up Over It". California Curiosities. July 14, 2015. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.