Giant Artichoke

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
Coordinates	36°45′45″N121°45′11″W / 36.7624°N 121.7530°W / 36.7624; -121.7530

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 Center 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]}

History

Ray 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

The 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

1. "Artichokes, California Grown". See California. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
2. "World's Largest Artichoke". World's Largest Things. Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
3. "World's Largest Artichoke". Roadtrippers . Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
4. "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.