Editing Cardoon (section)

==Other uses==
Cardoons are used as a vegetarian source of [[enzymes]] for cheese production. In [[Portugal]], traditional coagulation of the curd relies entirely on this vegetable [[rennet]]. This results in cheeses such as the [[Queijo Serra da Estrela|Serra da Estrela]] and [[Queijo de Nisa|Nisa]].

The cardoon is also grown as an [[ornamental plant]] for its imposing architectural appearance, with very bright silvery-grey foliage and large flowers in selected cultivars.<ref name=rhs/>

Cardoon has attracted recent attention as a possible source of [[biodiesel]] fuel. The oil, extracted from the seeds of the cardoon, and called [[artichoke oil]], is similar to [[safflower]] and [[sunflower oil]] in composition and use.<ref>{{cite web | title=Plant Oils Used for Bio-diesel | url=http://www.bdpedia.com/biodiesel/plant_oils/plant_oils.html | publisher=BDPedia.com, the Biodiesel WWW Encyclopedia | access-date=2006-11-18}}</ref> Cardoon is the feedstock for the first [[biorefinery]] in the world converting the installations of a [[petrochemical]] plant in [[Porto Torres]], [[Sardinia]], providing biomass and oils for the building blocks of [[bioplastics]].