How much passion does it take to cultivate a plant full of thorns? The wild artichoke, which blooms only for a few days at the end of spring, thrives in the unique terroir of Tinos. This is the specialty of Tinian farmer Fabianos Rouggeris. He explains that rapid climate change and drought have destabilized yields of cultivated artichokes – but not of wild ones. Though difficult to cultivate, the species known as the wild artichoke is a stubborn survivor, resilient to drought, and reliably productive, albeit with a lower yield.

“In the past, we used to plant them around the edges of our fields as a fence, and harvested them mainly for our own use,” Fabianos says. Wide spacing is required between plantings, as the plants grow very large. Harvesting is done by hand, and the wild artichoke yields only a third of what the cultivated variety does as regards edible parts of the plant.

“They weren’t marketable. People didn’t know them and didn’t ask for them, and cleaning them is a real hassle,” Fabianos says. But thanks to his persistence, he expanded his crops and has rightfully earned recognition for promoting a product with true Cycladic DNA.

The heart of this artichoke has no fuzz; it’s tender, with a sweet-and-sour flavor – a delicacy for refined palates, perfect with good tsipouro.

Beyond the artichokes

In his fields in the valley between Komi and Kalloni, Fabianos also grows citrus fruits, plums, pears, heirloom varieties of watermelons and elongated melons, and flavorsome seasonal vegetables, which he supplies to top dining establishments on Tinos such as Kounaria and Maistros.

Every year, Antonia Zarpa, the inspired chef of the restaurant Thalassaki, entrusts Fabianos with heirloom tomato seeds she treasures, and he rewards that trust with well-nurtured produce. During the 2024 Gastronomos awards ceremony, she presented him with his prize, introducing him with these words:

“Without Fabianos and a handful of others, my restaurant wouldn’t have the same stature. He manages his fields alone – a terrace here, a small plot there, in a labyrinth of reeds I’ve been lucky to visit a few times. He is tireless, cheerful, a good person. But let me tell you something you might not know. His father, ‘Nikolaras,’ is a man of the old ways. Using just his wits, a mattock and a little water, he brings the land to life. That’s who you are honoring today. Fabianos follows the practices he inherited from that wise elder. At 90 years old, Nikolaras is still in the fields every day, preserving the ethical spirit of cultivation. Fabianos is following him on this path, and that’s what makes his produce taste better.”

The writers at the magazine Gastronomos knew exactly who they were honoring – they had visited his fields several times – but these heartfelt words from Antonia, an award-winning chef on the Cycladic culinary scene, reaffirmed their choice.

A day in the life

Fabianos’ days are long. After working in the fields, he loads up his truck and heads out to Exo Meri, Ysternia, Pyrgos, Kardiani, Mamados – selling his produce in the squares and alleyways of the villages, just as his father and grandfather once did with the help of donkeys.

“They wait for me to buy their groceries. They support me, and that’s very important.”

Devoted to the land, he works from morning to night on his crops, even enjoying his coffee in the fields. He works hard to overcome the challenges brought by climate change and hopes that, in time, he can pass on his love for the land to his son.

The 17th Quality Awards of Gastronomos were dedicated to the producers of the Cyclades. At a crucial crossroads in the history of the Cyclades, where various circumstances have limited engagement with the primary sector, the awards highlighted the exceptions – those who persist in working the land and tending to livestock, producing cheeses and traditional cured meats, cultivating native varieties, honoring Cycladic traditions, and steadfastly preserving the Cycladic way of life.

This article was previously published in Greek at gastronomos.gr.