Carciofo alla giudia is the traditional crispy fried globe artichoke of Il Ghetto, the Hebrew ghetto in the historic heart of Rome. The ghetto was finally abolished in 1870 but the dish lives on, being a speciality of Roman Jewish cuisine. Alla giudia means “Jewish-style” in local dialect.

It was originally prepared to celebrate the end of the Yom Kippur fast, but carciofo alla giudia, with its golden petals that crunch in a delectable way when you bite into them, has long been popular with Romans from all communities. Today, many restaurants sell the dish (from about €8 a portion) but only a few get it right.

Giggetto (Via Portico di Ottavia 21/a-22, ), by the Roman temple of Porticus Octaviae, selects the best artichoke variant, called the cimarolo, which is 15cm wide – twice the normal size – and grows on the uppermost part of the plant. Once the rough leaves have been trimmed away, it is dipped twice in hot palm oil – once at 130C and again at 170C. Served as an appetiser, the gigantic artichoke sits on the plate like a blooming flower. The dish is not as fatty as it might sound because artichokes don’t absorb very much oil.

Kosher restaurant Yotvata (Piazza Cenci 70) fries the artichoke in sunflower oil, adds a little salt to the petals and serves it upside down. Trattoria Lilli (Via Tor di Nona 23), overlooking the Tiber, serves the Roman-style variant: carciofo alla romana. Here, the artichoke isn’t fried but cooked in a pot with olive oil, salt and pepper, and covered with tinfoil. It’s delicious, with flavours of liquorice and mint lingering on the taste buds.