asparagus

Asparagus officinalis is a plant species in the family Asparagaceae from which the popular vegetable known as asparagus is obtained.

The species probably originated in the eastern Mediterranean region but is now a widely-cultivated vegetable crop.

Asparagus 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 AD De re coquinaria, Book III.

The shoots can be prepared and served in a number of ways, but are usually boiled or steamed and served with hollandaise sauce, melted butter or olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

Tall asparagus cooking pots allow the shoots to be steamed gently. Cantonese restaurants in the United States often serve asparagus stir-fried with chicken, shrimp, or beef, also wrapped in bacon. Asparagus may also be quickly grilled over charcoal or hardwood embers.

The best asparagus tends to be early growth (first of the season) and is normally simply steamed and served with melted butter. 4 years ago