Asparagus, (asparagus officinalis) comes from Asia, where it grew as a wild plant and was known since the times of Egyptians, whose spread it all over the Mediterranean area. The first evidences of asparaguses are found in a document written 300 years before Christ by Theofrastus from Ereso - a Greek philosopher, scholar and friend of Plato, disciple and successor of Aristotle - in his “History of Plants”, a botanic work in 9 volumes. Marcus Portio Cato (234-149 b.C.) mentioned it in its book “De agricoltura”, describing the cultivation techniques. Also the famous Latin naturalist Pliny the Elder (23-24 - 79 A.D.) wrote about the gastronomical qualities and the cultivation techniques of asparaguses in his monumental work “Naturalis Historia”. Ancient Romans called it asparagus and they appreciated it both for cooking as well as for its medical properties, countless are the recipes based on asparaguses mentioned in the most famous cookbooks of those times. Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis (60 - 140 A.D.), in one of his writings, illustrated one of his meals: “…a fat kid…some mountain asparaguses, big eggs”.

Tasty, looked for and healthy: asparaguses are appreciated since ancient times

 Despite the cooking of asparaguses is today a custom associated to their consumption, it seems ancient Romans thought differently about this: Suetonius, in describing the rapidity of an action done by Augustus, wrote it took less time than it was usually needed for boiling asparaguses (“citius quam asparagi coquantur”). Martial (40 - 104 A.D.) praised the asparaguses cultivated in the coastlines of Ravenna, with a tender pulp, exported for the enjoyment of rich people. During the Middle Age, asparagus was mainly cultivated for its medical properties, in particular for its depurative and diuretic properties. The spreading of asparagus as a vegetable begins in the 1500's, in France and in Italy, but as it was not easy to cultivate, it remained for a long time a luxury food. King Louis XIV was particularly greed of asparaguses and he was used to order the botanists of his court to cultivate it all year long.

 Only with the arrival of the 1600's we will find the first evidences of the cultivation of asparaguses. Among the main asparaguses producers of the world there is China, Italy, Greece, France, Spain, Germany and Netherlands. Asparagus is mainly appreciated and cultivated in China, in fact, here it is found the highest production of the world for 70% of the whole planetary production.

 Asparagus belongs to the family of liliaceae, it is a perennial herbaceous plant, with a short underground rhizome, with pulpy roots. In springtime, young buds - called spears, that is what we usually call asparaguses - begin to grow and to come out from the ground. During the period they remain underground, spears have a white color, and as they come in contact with sun light, they get a pink-purple color, and then a more or less deep green color. The spears are the edible part of the plant, tender and pulpy with a basically sweet taste, in case they are not harvested, they can reach a height of about 1.5 meters (5 feet). The culture of asparagus is generally done in fields, however it can be cultivated in greenhouses as well. Among the most common commercialized varieties are mentioned:

• Mary Washington - characterized by green spears
• Argenteuil and Neapolitan - characterized by violet spears
• Asparagus of Bassano and Cesena - characterized by white spears
• Duth Gijnlim
• French Dariana and Larac

 Among the most common hybrids are mentioned the varieties Gladio, Mars, Atlas and UC157.

 The many varieties of asparagus are used in different ways: Asparagus tenuifolius is cultivated for nutritional purposes, Asparagus plumosus is used for flower bouquets, Asparagus sprengeri is used as an ornamental plants for balconies and stairs.

 After having been harvested or bought, and before consuming them, it is necessary to remove the base, hardened by fibers, by using a sharp knife, peeling the stem from the tip towards the base in order to eliminate the fibrous part. Asparagus is a very dietetic food, in fact 100 grams of asparaguses provides 29 Kcal and it is almost completely edible, about 87%. One hundred grams of asparaguses contain 91.4 grams of water, 3.6 of proteins, 0.2 of fats, 3.3 of sugars and 2.1 of fibers. The same quantity of asparaguses contain: 1.2 mg of iron; 2.5 mg of calcium; 0.2 mg of vitamin B1; 0.29 mg of vitamin B2; 1 mg of vitamin PP; 82 mg of vitamin A; 10 mg of vitamin C.

 Asparaguses are rich in fibers, vitamins A, B, B2, C, aminoacids, carotenoids, mineral salts, calcium and phosphorus, and they are low in calories. They also contain asparagine - or aspartic acid - which gives urine its typical smell after having consumed asparaguses. The characteristic smell of the urine is strictly associated to renal efficiency: in case the renal system is efficient, the smell can be perceived in the next urination after the ingestion of asparaguses. Asparaguses reduce the stagnation of water, they are therefore diuretic and depurative, thanks to the presence of purine and uric acid, moreover, it seems they stimulate appetite. They are advised for the cure of cellulitis and to whoever suffering hypertension. They are however contraindicated to anyone affected by renal and prostatic disturbs, absolutely forbidden to anyone suffering renal stones, cystitis, gout and renal inflammations. The roots of asparagus are indicated for people suffering heart problems, to get rid of the water stagnating in tissues, because of the lack of a proper blood circulation. It seems the best way to take the best advantages from the diuretic properties of asparagus is decoction.

 Before consuming asparaguses it is always good to wash them. The season of asparaguses begins at the end of March until May and June. After this period, the production is ensured by greenhouses and, sometimes, by productions coming from other countries. Asparaguses are harvested as they begin to sprout from the earth, when they are still young and tender. The best way to fully appreciate their qualities is to consume them when they are fresh, with solid and closed tips: by trying to bend an asparagus, in case it is fresh, it should break. Before purchasing asparaguses, it is good to check the sprouts out, they must be fresh, straight, hard, intact and with no bruises. The stem must not be woody, the spears making the pack should be of the same length.

 Asparaguses can be kept in the refrigerator, in the vegetable area, wrapped in a humid cloth, where they can kept up to 4 days. Outside the refrigerator, it is best to keep the stems in cold water where they can live up to 24 hours. Asparaguses of big size are more suited for boiling, whereas the smaller ones are suited for different recipes, such as omelettes, risotto, lasagna, pasta and meat. Asparaguses with a dull aspect and with woody stems should be avoided, as these two factors are the signal of old spears. In order to keep their aroma and to limit the loss of nutritional elements, steaming is the best way for cooking asparaguses.