Cardoon (cynara cardunculus), is an Italian thistle plant (a relative of the artichoke), and it has a beautiful purple bloom. It is native to Italy, and has been popular in Italian cuisine since Ancient Rome. Cardoon is served, usually braised, in authentic Tuscan restaurants around the world. Superchef Mario Batali, in a New York Times interview, lauded cardoon for its "very sexy flavor". This distinct flavor is carried over into the complex, rich Cardoon blossom honey in the Bee Limitless Honey Shop.