Did you know you can buy artichoke water?

In between the countless aisles of gluten-free and vegan products, Hello Kitty marshmallows and chocolates at the recent Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, there was Arty water. Just when you think you’ve seen and tasted it all, a company decides to produce water, with artichokes.

Arty artichoke water is a bottled beverage made using California artichokes. On the new-product-health-world-buzz-word-check-list, it receives high marks. The water is plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, low-glycemic and cholesterol-free.

But what the heck does artichoke water taste like, and why would you drink it?

You know the yellow-tinted water that remains in a pot after you’ve boiled an artichoke? This is what Arty water smells like. The water is initially bitter, with a hint of mint. And just when you think drinking artichoke water is a horrible idea, you get a distinct, sweet sensation on the tongue like you’ve just licked a lollipop.

An 8-ounce bottle of Arty water contains 30 calories and 8 grams of sugar.

The team of scientists behind the product uses a patent-pending artichoke extraction process to make the water. It’s also flavored with lemon, apple and spearmint, and sweetened with blue agave and monk fruit extract. And they are looking to do more. New flavors will include ginger, lemongrass and berries.

The Southern California company behind the new water says artichoke water is a superfood beverage containing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and electrolytes found in artichokes. The woman at the Arty water booth at the fancy food show said each bottle contains the health benefits of a baby artichoke.

The New York University Langone Medical Center has some handy information online on artichokes and cholesterol and heart health.

If you’re interested in giving it a try, you can buy a four-pack on Amazon.com for around $10.

I like my artichokes dunked in lemon aioli. Follow me on Twitter @Jenn_Harris_.