Asparagus
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? Asparagus |
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| Asparagus officinalis L. |
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Asparagus are the vegetable obtained from one species within the genus Asparagus, specifically the young shoots of Asparagus officinalis. It has been used from very early times as a culinary vegetable, owing to its delicate flavour and diuretic properties. There is a recipe for cooking asparagus in the oldest surviving book of recipes, Apicius's 3rd century CE De re coquinaria, Book III.
White asparagus is cultivated by denying the plants light while they are being grown.
The name asparagus comes from classical Latin, but the plant was once known in English as sperage from medieval Latin sparagus. The original Latin name has now supplanted the English word. Asparagus was also corrupted in some places to "sparrow grass"; indeed, John Walker stated in 1791 that "Sparrow-grass is so general that asparagus has an air of stiffness and pedantry."
In their simplest form, the shoots are boiled or steamed until tender and served with a light sauce like hollandaise or melted butter or a drizzle of olive oil with a dusting of Parmesan cheese. A refinement is to tie the shoots into sheaves and stand them so that the lower part of the stalks are boiled, while the more tender heads are steamed. Tall cylindrical asparagus cooking pots have liners with handles and perforated bases to make this process foolproof.
Unlike most vegetables, where the smaller and thinner are the more tender, thick asparagus stalks have more tender volume to the proportion of skin. When asparagus have been too long in the market, the cut ends will have dried and gone slightly concave. The best asparagus are picked and washed while the water comes to the boil. Fastidious cooks scrape asparagus stalks with a vegetable peeler, stroking away from the head, and refresh them in ice-cold water before steaming them; the peel is often added back to the cooking water and removed only after the asparagus is done, this is supposed to prevent diluting the flavor. Small or full-sized stalks can be made into asparagus soup. Cantonese restaurants in the United States often serve asparagus stir-fried with chicken, shrimp, or beef. Asparagus is one of few foods which is considered acceptable to eat with the hands in polite company, although this is more common in Europe.
Another thing worth mentioning with asparagus is that some of its constituents are metabolised and excreted in the urine, giving it a distinctive, mildly unpleasant odor. The smell is caused by various sulfur-containing degradation products (e.g. thiols and thioesters). As a result of studies it was not only shown that only around 40% of the test persons displayed this characteristic smell, but also that not everyone is able to smell the odor once it is produced. [1]
Because of its shape, Asparagus was believed to have aphrodisiac effects. This has never been proven.
The amino acid asparagine gets its name from asparagus, the asparagus plant being rich in this compound.
History
Asparagus was first cultivated 2000 years ago in the Mediterranean and Asia Minor. The Greeks and Romans loved asparagus for its flavor, texture, and medicinal qualities. Roman emperors were so fond of asparagus that they kept special boats for the purpose of fetching it and called them the "Asparagus fleet". While the Greeks never seemed to garden asparagus, the Romans had specific directions on how to cultivate asparagus by 200 BC. They would eat the asparagus in season as well as preserve it for later consumption by freezing. Asparagus gained popularity in France in England in the 16th Century and was then introduced to North America. Native Americans would dry the asparagus for later medicinal uses. It is said to have been used for bladder, kidney, and heart problems. Asparagus has also been depicted in ancient Egyptian writings and was also grown in Syria and Spain in ancient times.
Nutrition
Asparagus is one of the best balanced vegetables available. It is the leading provider of folic acid in all vegetables. Folic acid is necessary for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease. Asparagus is also very low in calories; each stalk is less than 4 calories apiece. They contain no fat or cholesterol, and are very low in sodium. They are a great source of potassium, and fiber. Asparagus also provides rutin, which strengthens the capillary walls. This vegetable is a great healthful food for your everyday diet.
Popularity
Asparagus is grown widely around the world. It is widely grown around villages near Evesham, in the Vale of Evesham, Worcestershire, England, and the plant grows wild on England's south coast. In Evesham it is still known by some by the folk etymology name of Sparrow Grass.
There also are various places in Germany, like the Brandenburger Zauche, the Franconian Knoblauchsland, near Hanover and Lüneburg, Abensberg as well as Schrobenhausen where asparagus is cultivated. Germans have a passion for white asparagus, and German asparagus is considered to be among the best in the world. In Germany, the official end of the asparagus season is June 24.
The movie Austin Powers in Goldmember contained a scene that demonstrated the odour causing effects that eating asparagus has on the urine. It is said to be quite funny, and drives home the wide spread knowledge that asaparagus is unique in this regard.
Comedian Adam Ferrara has also produced quips regarding the odor generated by consuming asparagus.
Other plants called asparagus
Many related and unrelated plants may be called "asparagus" or said to be "used as asparagus" when eaten for their shoots. In particular, the shoots of a distantly related plant, Ornithogalum pyrenaicum may be called "Prussian asparagus". See Category:Stem vegetables.