Milk Thistle
Silybum marianum — Asteraceae
Italiano: Cardo mariano — Cardu/Marianin
Description
Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) belongs to the Asteraceae family and is native to Europe. It thrives in Arid fields, Roadsides, Disturbed soils environments across regions including Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Turkey. Botanically, Milk Thistle is young leaves blanched stems like artichoke. Famous for liver use.. It is also known locally as Cardu/Marianin. The edible parts include Leaves, Stems. With an edibility rating of 6/10, it ranks as a good wild food source. Harvesting is best done during April, July, June and May. Nutritionally, Milk Thistle stands out for its Vitamin C (30.0mg, 33% DV), Vitamin K (30.0mg, 25% DV) and Iron (1.8mg, 10% DV). It also provides 1.5g protein and 2.0g dietary fiber per 100g serving. In the kitchen, Milk Thistle offers a Artichoke-like flavor profile. Blanched steamed fried. Common culinary applications include fried, steamed, soup. Popular preparations include Fried milk thistle, Blanched thistle, Sauteed greens with garlic, Wild green pesto. For storage, fresh 2d. Safety note: No known toxicity. Antinutrient content is bitter latex. Safe lookalike species include Artichoke. Always verify identification with at least three independent botanical sources before consumption.
🌿 Foraging Tips
🍳 Recipe: Fried milk thistle
This is one of the traditional ways to prepare this wild edible plant. Always ensure proper plant identification before cooking.
Edibility
Harvest Calendar
Nutrition (per 100g)
Culinary Uses: fried, steamed, soup Storage: Fresh 2d
Recipes
- Fried milk thistle
- Blanched thistle
- Sauteed greens with garlic
- Wild green pesto
- Leafy green soup
- Wild winter pesto made from Milk Thistle
- Traditional Milk Thistle soup
- Milk Thistle and potato frittata
