|
Asparagus is definitely a luxury vegetable.
Its price, even in season, sets it apart from cabbages and cauliflowers,
and it has a taste of luxury too. The spears, especially the thick,
green spears, at their best in early summer, have an intense, rich
flavor that is impossible to describe but easy to remember.
History : The ancient Greeks enjoyed wild
asparagus but it was not until the Roman period that we know it was
cultivated. Even then asparagus was highly thought of. It is recorded
that Julius Caesar liked to eat it with melted butter. There is little
mention of asparagus being eaten in England until the seventeenth
century.
Nutrition : Asparagus provides vitamins A,
B2 and C and is also a good source of potassium, iron and calcium. It is
well-known diuretic.
Varieties : There are many varieties of
asparagus and many different ways of raising it too. Spanish and some
Dutch asparagus is white with ivory tips. It is grown under mounds of
soul and cut just as the tips begin to show. The purple variety is
mostly grown in France, where the spears are cut once the tips are about
4 cm above the ground. Consequently, the stalks are white and the tops
tinged with green or purple. In contrast, English and American asparagus
grows above the ground and the spears are entirely green. Arguments
continue over which has the better flavor, most growers expressing a
preference for their own asparagus.
Thin, short asparagus are called sprue and
are excellent when briefly steamed or stir-fried and added to salads. In
Italy, they are served by themselves, scattered with grated Parmesan
cheese.
|
