Asparagus
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| Asparagus officinalis L. |
Asparagus is the name a genus of plants, a member of the family Asparagaceae, as well as a type of vegetable obtained from one species within the genus Asparagus, specifically the young shoots of Asparagus officinalis. This vegetable has been used from very early times as a culinary vegetable, owing to its delicate flavor 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.
Asparagus (genus)
Asparagus is the name of a genus of plants, a member of the family Asparagaceae (formerly placed in the Liliaceae). There are up to 300 species, all from the Old World, introduced in many countries in both hemispheres and throughout temperate and tropical regions. Many species from Africa are now included in the genera Protasparagus and Myrsiphyllum. However, recent studies have shown that the taxonomic level genera may not be appropriate; instead, division into subgenera or no division at all may be more appropriate.
They range from herbs to somewhat woody climbers. Most species have flattened stems (phylloclades), that serve the function of leaves. Three species (Asparagus officinalis, "Asparagus schoberioides and Asparagus cochinchinensis) are dioecious species, i.e. with male and female flowers on separate plants. The others may or may not be hermaphroditic.
The best known member of the genus is the vegetable asparagus (Asparagus officinalis). Other species of asparagus are grown as ornamental plants. Some species such as Asparagus setaceus have branches that resemble 'ferns', hence they are often called "Asparagus fern" (though they are not true ferns). They are often used for foliage display, and as houseplants. Commonly-grown ornamental species are Asparagus plumosus, Asparagus densiflorus, and 'Asparagus sprengeri.
Asparagus includes the following species, including the garden vegetable officinilas
- Asparagus aethiopicus - Sprenger's Asparagus Fern
- Asparagus africanus - African Asparagus
- Asparagus asparagoides - Smilax, African Asparagus Fern, (Austr.) Bridal Creeper
- Asparagus cochinchinensis - Chineese Asparagus
- Asparagus declinatus - Foxtail Asparagus Fern, (Austr.) Bridal vein
- Asparagus densiflorus - Ground Asparagus, Asparagus Fern, (S. Afr.) Emerald Fern, Basket Asparagus
- Asparagus densiflorus - Sprenger's Asparagus
- Asparagus falcatus - Sicklethorn
- Asparagus macowanii - Ming Fern
- Asparagus officinalis - Asparagus
- Asparagus officinalis officinalis - Garden Asparagus
- Asparagus officinalis prostratus - The Garden Asparagus was adapted from this wild European version
- endemic to the coasts of Belgium, Britain, the Channel Islands, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain and The Netherlands.
- Asparagus plumosus - Asparagus Fern, Florist's Fern, (Austr.) Climbing Asparagus
- Asparagus Plumosus Nanus - is a greenhouse variety, bearing fern-like foliage.
- Asparagus racemosus - Wild Asparagus
- Asparagus scandens - Climbing Asparagus
- Asparagus setaceus - Fern Asparagus, Lace Fern
- Asparagus sprengeri - Emerald Fern
- Asparagus umbellatus - Green Asparagus
- Asparagus virgatus - Broom Fern
Varieties
The garden vegetable variety of asparagus officinalis is cultivated in three basic varieties; green, white and purple.
The stalk is the edible portion of the plant. The green or common garden asparagus ranges from pencil thin to 3/4" thick stalks and is most commonly grown in the United States.
White asparagus is cultivated by denying the plants light and increasing the amount of ultraviolet light exposed to the plants while they are being grown. The edibel stalks are milder in taste, more tender than the green varieties and less woody in texture. White asparagus is preferred and more common in Europe.
Purple asparagus is different to its green and white counterparts, mainly as it is characterised by high sugar and low fiber levels. Purple asparagus was originally developed in Italy and was commercialised under the variety name 'Violetto d'Albenga'. Since then, breeding work has continued in countries such as USA and New Zealand.
Asparagus can be grown from seeds, but is more commonly grown by purchasing three to four year old roots or "crowns." Being a perennial plant, asparagus, if cared for, can produce yields 12-15 years. (UC DAVIS)
Etymology
Prior to 1398, this vegetable's (Asparagus officinalis) name was "asperages" or "aspergy." In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was "sperage," "sparage," or "sperach" in English. It was borrowed from Old French, coming from Latin (sparagus, sparagi), and ultimately from Greek aspáragos, aspháragos, though some etymologists believe there may have been a foreign source from which the Greek word is borrowed. The current form asparagus was re-borrowed c. 1597 from Latin. Around 1600, the plant became more widely known and a shortened form "'sparagus" appeared, which was then changed by folk etymology (before 1650) to be "sparrow-grass" or "sparagrass" - though botanists still wrote asparagus. It was not until the late 1800s when the current spelling became the popular form for all. (DICT.COM)
As Food
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. When selecting asparagus, care must be taken to choose stalks that are not too long, more than 6" in length nor too woody. Woody stems are not pliable and indicate that the stalk was not harvested when it was young and tender. Meticulous 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. Guangzhou|Cantonese restaurants in the United States often serve asparagus stir-fried with chicken, shrimp, or beef. Asparagus may also be quickly grilled over charcoal or hardwood embers, for an infusion of smoke flavor. 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.
Some of the constituents of asparagus 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). Studies showed that about 40% of the test subjects displayed this characteristic smell; and a similar percentage of people are able to smell the odor once it is produced. There does not seem to be any correlation between peoples' production and detection of the smell.[1] The speed of onset of urine smell is rapid, and has been estimated to occur within 15-30 minutes from ingestion.[2]
Nutrition
Asparagus is one of the most nutritionally valuable vegetables. It is the best vegetable provider of folic acid. Folic acid is necessary for blood cell formation and growth, as well as liver disease prevention. Folic acid is also important for pregnant women as it aids in the prevention of neural tube defects such as spina bifida in the developing fetus. Asparagus is very low in calories, contains no fat or cholesterol, and is very low in sodium. Asparagus is a great source of potassium, fiber, and rutin, a compound that strengthens the walls of capillaries. It also provides balanced amounts of vitamins C, A, B6, riboflavin and thaimine as well as iron. (UC DAVIS) The amino acid asparagine gets its name from asparagus, the asparagus plant being rich in this compound. Asparagus rhizomes and roots are used ethnomedically to treat urinary tract infections, as well as kidney and bladder stones.
Production, Imports, Exports
World-wide, 6,764,000 metric tons were produced in 2005, with top producers being: China, 5,906,000 metric tons and with Peru, 206,026 metric tons. US production in 2005 was third wtih 99,250 metric tons,(FAO) with concentrations in California, Michigan & Washington.Stockton, CA hosts the Asparagus Festival, which takes place annually during the last weekend of April. While initially a regional event, the attendance of asparagus enthusiasts has increased in the past few years. Germany, with 82,758 metric tons was the fourth top producer. White asparagus is very popular there where it is known as spargel. Its production, however, is only enough to meet 61% of its consumption demands.[3]
Peru is currently the world’s leading asparagusexporter, followed by China, then Mexico.[4]
The top asparagus importers in 2004 were the United States (90,000 tons), followed by the European Union (external trade) (18,565 tons), and Japan (17,148 tons).[5] The United States imports both green fresh asparagus and white fresh asparagus from Peru. While both types are imported and marketed in the United States, the color requirements of the current U.S. grading standards only provide for the grading of green 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". This could be because Asparagus derived its name from the ancient Greeks, who used the word to refer to all tender shoots picked and savored while very young. Widely cultivated for its tender, succulent, edible shoots, asparagus cultivation began more than 2,000 years ago in the eastern Mediterranean region. Greeks and Romans prized asparagus for its unique flavor, texture, and alleged medicinal qualities. They ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter.
Asparagus is known as being in the Lily family to some taxonomists, as it's in the family Asparagaceae, which is treated as belonging to the family Liliaceae.[6]
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- ↑ Roger JG Stevens (August , 2000). Why does urine smell odd after eating asparagus?. studentBMJ.
- ↑ Elizabeth Somer (August 14, 2000). Eau D'Asparagus. WebMD. Retrieved 2006-08-31.
- ↑ Molly Spence. Asparagus: The King of Vegetables. German Agricultural Marketing Board. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
- ↑ United States Department of Agriculture. World Asparagus Situation & Outlook. World Horticultural Trade & U.S. Export Opportunities. Retrieved 2007-02-27.
- ↑ According to Global Trade Atlas and U.S. Census Bureau statistics
- ↑ L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz. The Families of Flowering Plants.
- Fellingham, A.C. & Meyer, N.L. 1995. New combinations and a complete list of Asparagus species in southern Africa (Asparagaceae). Bothalia 25: 205-209.
- Photo of Asparagus Beetle
- DICT.COM http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/e35.html. Retrieved March 25, 2007.
- UC DAVIS http://vric.ucdavis.edu/veginfo/commodity/garden/crops/asparagus.pdf. Retreived March 25, 2007
- FAO http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=567. Retreived March 25, 2007
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