Asparagus

Asparagus officinalis is a flowering plant that can be both cultivated or wild.

The word asparagus comes from Greek and Persian aspharagos, that means sprout. In English we use the Latin-like spelling, as opposed to the Middle English sparage or, more commonly, sperage, that was shorter and easier to pronounce (in my dialect, for example, is sparz). Once again in the 1600s the word was shortened to ‘sparagus, turning in sparrowgrass by folk etymology.

Asparagus is a herbaceous perennial, with an underground net of rhizomes (modified stems) from which, in spring, new sprouts pop out. These young shoots are what we eat and, as long as you will cut them, the plant will produce new ones.

There are two main varieties of Asparagus: the white one, particularly appreciated in the north of Italy, and the green one, more common in the center-south of the country.
The color white of the first one is the result of cultivation in the absence of light, thus preventing the plant from producing chlorophyll. White asparagus are particularly appreciated in Northern Europe and they need to be peeled. This is not necessary with the green ones.

Romans Emperors were fond of asparagus and a recipe for cooking them can be found in the oldest recipe book that arrived to us, Apicius's De re coquinaria. In the XV century they became popular in France and from there they arrived in England.

Asparagus have been known since antiquity for their diuretic effect. They are rich of asparagine (an amino acid), folic acid, rutin (a flavonoid glycoside with antioxidant and capillary protective properties),fibers, manganese, and potassium.

Some of the substances present in this vegetables are eliminated through urine, giving it a peculiar smell. Proust reported that asparagus had the power of "... changer mon pot de chambre en un vase de parfum..." (Du côté de chez Swann, Gallimard, 1988). I guess a poet has the gift to see beauty everywhere.

When you buy them, the stem should be tough and flexible, not mushy. The tip should be closed and the base should not be dry. If you are planning to use them in a couple of days, put them vertical in a bowl with some water, as if they were flowers, and change the water often.

Cooking
Typically, asparagus are boiled in salted water, after cutting the last and toughest part of the stem. Cook them for no more than 10-15 minutes. They can be served as they are, with just few olive oil, salt and black pepper on their tips, or accompanied with different sauces (see hereafter).

The tips are delicate and tend to cook faster than the stem. In alternative, you may tie them up with a string and have only the bottom part submerged in the boiling water. By covering the pot with the lid you will cook the tips with steam. Actually there are specific pots for this purpose. They are made in aluminum, so that the water will boil faster, and they are very tall and narrow, so that you can accomodate the vegetables vertically: you may not necessarily want to invest money and storing space in a pot with such a limited use.

You can also cook asparagus by steaming them in a pressure cooker, putting them in the basket with one inch of water underneath. Two or three minutes from the start of the whistling will be sufficient.

Green Asparagus can be saltati in padella (pan fryed) alla parmigiana, by cooking them briefly in a frying pan with some butter and grounded parmisan.

In Alto Adige-South Tyrol boiled white asparagus are served with Salsa Bolzanina (Bozen Sauce), made by 2 finely chopped hard boiled eggs melted with 2 tbs of wine vinaigrette, 1 tbs of mustard, and 3 tbs of olive oil.

In France and Germany, boiled white asparagus are typically accompanied by Hollandaise Sauce, sort of a Mayonnaise in which butter substitutes for olive oil.

With asparagus you can also make delicious soups and risotti.