Lore • Classification • Nutrition • Production
Popular wisdom claims that anything good is bound to be either sinful, or fattening…alas, most gourmet delights fall into the second category - but white asparagus is one of the few exceptions.
Lore
Asparagus was believed to originate in either Greece or Turkey, was considered a food for the gods by the Egyptians, and the Greeks are credited with introducing the delicacy to the Romans. Both the Arabs and Romans believed asparagus had aphrodisiac properties. In an early historical reference, Apicius, a famed Roman epicure of the first century, extolled the erotic powers of asparagus, prepared as follows: “fry asparagus in lard, add egg yolk/hot pepper”. One wonders if the recipe bears any relation to the Spanish saying, “go fry asparagus”, which usually means a totally useless activity.
Asparagus always has been considered a luxury vegetable. It was highly prized in ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt as a delicacy, occasionally a food fit for the gods, and (as some even attributed to it), an aphrodisiac. Its use waned in Europe for several centuries until the reign of Louis IV who encouraged its production because of his personal fondness for asparagus spears. The cultivation of white asparagus was developed in the 19th century, when growing vegetables white - what gardeners call blanching - was in vogue. It became so popular that green asparagus, which is much easier to grow and harvest, nearly disappeared from French tables. Just in the last five years has it become common again. Asparagus suffered during the Middle Ages, was rediscovered by the French - but again fell out of favor in Victorian days/20th Century, thanks to Sigmund Freud.
Asparagus remains a very expensive vegetable because production, harvesting, and processing do not lend themselves well to mechanization. Very selective cutting must take place constantly just as the spears emerge, throughout the asparagus season which starts in April and continues through June. The extreme tenderness of the spears preclude much automated handling. Commercially grown asparagus has been bred selectively from wild plants that are native to Asia, and Europe.
Classification
The asparagus plant belongs to the Liliaceous family (Lilaceae) which consists of some 150 varieties. Only Asparagus officinalis is cultivated for consumption. It is a hardy plant in temperate climates where it can live for 6 or 7 years. It thrives best in loose, deep sandy soil that is well drained and can by grown on both irrigated and unirrigated land. It can be found growing wild along the roadsides of Navarre.
The asparagus plant has large fleshy roots and an underground stem system shaped like a claw which is termed Rhizome. Small buds appear on the Rhizome and in the spring, these buds shoot up as sprouts which become the edible part of the plant. Temperatures during this period (April to June) should be between 12º and 20º C with a minimum temperature no lower than -1º C. If the shoots are allowed to flower, they develop into a plant with fern-like foliage that grows to about 0.5 to 1.5 meters (18 to 54 inches). Although propagation by seed is possible, most propagation is in the form of divided subterranean root stocks, that are called "crowns."
Nutrition
Galen, a second century Greek physician/philosopher who was the supreme authority on medicine for centuries, claimed asparagus had more edifying medicinal properties, some of which modern medicine has corroborated. Pliny the Elder, of first century Rome, had already termed asparagus “prodigia ventras”, loosely translated as good for digestion. Hollywood vamp Zsa Zsa Gabor confessed to being an insatiable asparagus buff, and claimed that “power, wealth and asparagus were the most powerful aphrodisiacs”.
While we will leave claims of aphrodisiac powers for the reader to decide for himself/herself, recent scientific studies in the U.S. support evidence that asparagus may help prevent certain types of cancer. Doctors now emphasize the need for diets rich in fiber, and asparagus is an ideal source that helps regulate intestinal function. Asparagus is known today as a highly nutritious and flavorful vegetable, packed with vitamins A, B1, B2, and C, and minerals such as calcium and phosphorous. Asparragus has iron, carotene, potassium, and zinc. Asparagus also has diuretic properties, making it beneficial for kidney functions, and a valuable aid to dieters. Recent studies have found that an asparagus extract also has a beneficial action on the heart muscle - and a slight sedative /relaxing effect, making it an ideal food to calm tense nerves. Rich in copper, phosphorous and essential amino acids, asparagus is not only delicious but healthy and nutritious. Weight watchers, rejoice! There are few gourmet delights that are not fattening - and asparagus is one of them. With only 20 calories per 100 grams, and containing practically no fat/sugar, asparagus is an unlimited filling vegetable.
Gourmands claim fresh white asparagus is best served slightly warm, after it has been allowed to cool a little from cooking…and can be used as an hors d’oeuvre, entree, or as a main course. To cook asparagus, first break the woody end where it snaps easily. Rinse the tips. Drop the asparagus into simmering water, cover for 10-15 minutes (thickness/crispness are your choice). Keep it simple - to enjoy the subtle flavors…a little olive oil should suffice. Asparagus can be served au gratin, or chopped/served in omelets, or in a cream soup. We have plenty of recipes. What corn on the cob is to north Americans, white asparagus is to south Americans/Europeans - the most prized of all seasonal delicacies.
Production
Cultivation of asparagus was introduced in the northern region of Navarre in the early days of Spain’s Arab occupation, which began in the 8th century. Widespread production began about 50 to 60 years ago. Navarre is expected to produce approximately 24,000 tons of asparagus, roughly one third of Spain’s production…followed by Andalusia, and Extremadura. In Navarre, over 95% of processed asparagus is white, and exports account for half of the production. In Navarre, asparagus connoisseurs claim the best asparagus is the first of the season. A popular saying insists:
“April’s harvest for me, May’s harvest for the landowner, and Junes harvest for no one.”
The Alsace, the heart of the Rhine in France, is also an important asparagus growing region. White asparagus was once grown for canning in California but died out when the market fell to international competition. Now it is only imported to the United States, but demand is growing.
In the asparagus fields, the soil, covered with plastic to trap the sun’s heat, is warm to the touch - cooled only by the troughs between mounds of earth. The harvesters are like cats on a mouse hunt, creeping along, heads down, with their gouges, or stick-like asparagus tools, pawing at the narrow mounds. Their eyes scour the ground for a white nub protruding from the lumpy soil. When an asparagus is spotted, the kill is swift. The harvester plunges the gouge into the base of the mound, and with a quick jerk and a snap cuts off the sear and lifts it from deep within the soil, like an archeologist recovering an ancient tusk. There is no way to harvest white asparagus other than by hand. The harvester then scoops dirt back into the hole - for the same plant will produce another dozen stalks - and moves on down the row. Spring sun shining on the plastic-covered mounds makes the fields appear like a rolling sea. As the asparagus stalks poke their heads through the soil, they’re covered with dirt to prevent the chemical interaction with the sun known as photosynthesis which creates the chlorophyll that turns the plant green. Still, the shoots stretch for warmth - and are buried anew until the day of harvest.
After picking, each spear is graded by size and color. Unlike the situation with many spring vegetables, which are prized for their fineness, with white asparagus, bigger is better. And whiter is better, too. A green or purple tip means the asparagus was harvested after its tip grew above the soil.
Early in the season, the dusty catch is small. Spears do not begin sprouting until soil temperature nears 15ºC/59ºF. It takes a sharp eye to spot the slight crack in the soil’s surface, indicating a stalk pushing its way up through the mounded soil. What is missed today will see tomorrow a stalk poke through to the light, its white tip turned to violet, decreasing its market value by half. Trucks ply the field, collecting the workers’ asparagus, then delivering it to a central processing plant. Once delivered to the cannery, the asparagus begins processing immediately - or can be stored for a few hours in large refrigerated rooms.
Processing begins with washing and peeling, that is generally done by hand, or more recently by special peeling machines. Asparagus spears are held vertically, rinsed continually, and rotated twice, where special blades make twelve peels per sprout. Next, the peeled asparagus is again washed, scalded, and selected by by hand. Perfect asparagus stalks are cut from 7-8 inches. Pickers classify the asparagus by caliber, color, and condition. Whole stalks are called spears or stalks, when their length is 3-3/4" or more. From 2-3/4" to 3-3/4" in length the canned product is called tips. If less than 2-3/4" long, the product is identified as points. Cut into segments, canned asparagus is known as cut spears or cut stalks. Highest prices go for extra thick, totally white asparagus - most of which is consumed in restaurants.
Classifications include:
Extra thick: .76”+ in diameter Thick: .44” - .75” in diameter
Standard: .36” - .43” in diameter Thin: .35” or less in diameter
A machine can distinguish caliber/size, but is color-blind.
The asparagus may be scaled again, cooled in dry vapor, drained, weighed individually, and bottled/canned befor sterilization- or frozen for export. Pressure, temperature, and time are controlled by computer. Laboratory controls are done by canneries, but checked by industry officials too. Quality controls include weight, color, fibrosity, caliber (thickness), clarity of water, defects, and acidity. Macrobiology assures pure sterilization.
Napoleon now imports green asparagus from Peru. However, when choosing your own fresh asparagus, look for bright green spears with tightly closed tips. Thicker spears are just as tender as thinner ones; tenderness relates to color – the greener the better. Use asparagus immediately since the natural spears begin to wane, and convert to tough indigestible fibers as soon as it is picked.
To store asparagus, trim the tough end of the spear. Store in the refrigerator with the spears covered, standing upright in about 1 inch of water. Or wrap the ends in a wet paper towel and cover with plastic wrap. Stored properly, asparagus will keep a few days. Before cooking, trim the tough ends, or hold the stalk by the ends and bend; it will snap at the point where it becomes tough. If you like, peel off the tough outer skin.
Asparagus can be used in everything from hors d’oeuvres, to entrees, to main courses - and to dress up the most ordinary salads. True gourmets insist that au natural is the best - but asparagus au gratin is another favorite, or chopped in omelets or in a cream soup.
White asparagus - pale, elegant, and eerily unnatural, familiar, yet as unexpected as an albino squirrel. Delicious. Unique. Enjoy!