Notes on the history and uses of thistles and Cynara cardunculus L. in Portugal

This paper presents and discusses some of the historical applications of thistles in the Portuguese heritage, such as in art and in culinary, since Roman times. Nowadays, the use of thistles is almost limited to the manufacture of cheese, where an aqueous extract of Cynara cardunculus L. dried flowers is added to milk for the coagulation process.