Artichoke is a famous specialty of Da Lat. Artichoke is a particularly fastidious plant, grown mainly in Da Lat city and surrounding areas such as Lac Duong and Don Duong districts. Besides main products such as vegetables and flowers, artichokes are one of the typical crops of Da Lat.

To increase product value, many artichoke gardens in Da Lat have applied VietGAP and GACP processes to produce high quality products. They do not use fertilizers or chemicals, but only using composted manure and spraying microbiological medicine. Therefore, this product is increasingly popular, and has become a famous specialty as well as a symbol of the resort city.

Lam Dong province currently has about 162 hectares of artichokes, with an average yield of 504 quintals/ha, and an output of about 8,200 tons per year.

There are nearly 30 enterprises producing and trading medicinal herbs, with extremely valuable artichoke tea and artichoke extract products. This is a favorable condition for the locality to build and develop raw artichoke growing areas.

Everything from artichokes can be used, such as stems, leaves, flowers and roots. Particularly, about 10% of young stems and flowers can be eaten fresh; 25% of stems, leaves, flowers, roots can be dried and boiled for drinking; 65% remaining parts are processed into tea with export value with a number of strategic products such as dried artichoke extract, artichoke tablets, artichoke tea bags, and functional foods used to treat poor digestion, hepatitis, and cholangitis.

Recently, Da Lat artichoke was nominated by the Vietnam Record Organization (VietKing) for making an Asian Record for Vietnamese cuisine and specialties.

The artichoke plant has high economic value, as all components of the plant are valuable, from flowers, leaves, stems, roots... Artichokes, from fresh ingredients to finished products, have the effect of cooling the liver, clearing bile, and diuretic, helping lower blood cholesterol. In particular, cynarine essence from artichokes helps eliminate alcohol quickly.

With great potential and high value, Da Lat artichoke is gradually asserting itself in the domestic and foreign markets. The Lam Dong functional sector predicts that in the coming time, with the development of the market, many diverse types of processed products will be born, the demand for artichoke raw materials will increase sharply.​

Currently, artichoke price is about 5.7 million VND/ton, revenue is more than 466 million VND/ha, profit is more than 217 million VND/ha/year, many times higher than other agricultural products. However, most of the artichoke area is intercropped. Because of many types of pests, the raw material supply for processing is still insufficient. Besides, some varieties have degenerated, so productivity and quality have decreased.

With favorable climate and land conditions, promoting the building of good production links, especially links between businesses and farmers will create a solid basis for local farmers and businesses to develop artichokes.

Lam Vien