Asparagus

The young shoots of an almost leafless plant, Asparagus officinalis, a member of the lily family. Asparagus was well known in antiquity; we find it, for example, carved in the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. The Egyptians were eating wild asparagus no bigger than a child's forefinger before the second pyramid was constructed at Giza, but the delicate stalks firmly resisted all efforts at cultivation along the Nile. We know that the Greeks used it as an aphrodisiac, collecting it from the wild, but never cultivating it. The Greek word aspharos means "as long as one's throat", a label, the pundits tell us, conferred on the long slender spears because overeager diners often consumed them whole. It was not until the Roman period that it was cultivated. The Romans enriched a form of what we now call pasta by adding creamed asparagus to the flour, thus enhancing both the texture and the taste of the pasta. Not only did the Romans eat asparagus in season, they also dried asparagus shoots for later use. Even then, asparagus was highly regarded. Julius Caesar was said to enjoy eating it with melted butter.

In the 1st century AD, the Roman gastronome Marcus Gavius Apicius, in the first known book of recipes, instructed cooks to combine pounded asparagus tips with pepper, lovage, fresh coriander, savory, onion, wine, oil, eggs and a fish-flavored sauce, sprinkled with more pepper after baking. Romans tended to overindulge in asparagus, considering a dinner negligible unless it featured both an asparagus appetizer and main dish. Even then, chefs knew better than to overcook it. Whenever Augustus Caesar wished to terminate some unpleasant business at hand, he would proclaim, "Velocius quam asparagi coquantur", meaning, "Let it be done quicker than you would cook an asparagus." During the Middle Ages, Europeans forgot about asparagus, even though it was still cultivated by the Arabs. There's little mention of asparagus being eaten in England or France until the 17th century, when Louis XIV became fond of it and put it on the plates of Europe. Before asparagus was used for food, it was considered a cure for heart trouble, dropsy and toothaches. It was even supposed to prevent bee stings. Early colonists brought it to the U.S. and often called it "sparrow grass."

One can find beautiful purple asparagus, wild asparagus, green asparagus, variegated asparagus and tender white asparagus, or asperge blanche, which is planted under mounds of soil to block sunlight, reducing the plant's ability to produce chlorophyll. But all varieties of asparagus have one thing in common: once picked or purchased, they should be promptly cooked, because the spear's natural sugar will quickly turn to starch, causing the asparagus to lose flavor and develop a woody texture. When you can't rush asparagus from the market to the cooking pot, slice off about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the stalks and stand them in cool water as you would cut flowers. Refrigerate them, uncovered, and cook as soon as possible. The harvest of many other crops has been mechanized, but asparagus is still hand-cut.

Anyone who eats asparagus excretes methyl mercaptan, but not everyone may become aware of the odor. Asparagus contains a harmless sulfur compound that may cause a strange odor in urine, occurring in approximately 40 percent of the population. Asparagus is also a well-known diuretic and a source of potassium, iron, calcium, and vitamins A, B2 and C. Its root is used as an expectorant, diuretic, nervous stimulant and tonic. As well, it's said to have a beneficial effect on the female reproductive system.

---