Asparagus
Plants

Facts about asparagus

We found 18 facts about asparagus

Spring vegetables full of vitamins and nutrients

Asparagus, known to mankind since ancient times (more than 5000 years), still enjoys enduring popularity, especially in French, Italian, Spanish or German cuisine. Used primarily in cooking, it is also used by natural medicine practitioners. For the ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks, it was a delicacy, an aphrodisiac, and a phallic symbol. The Chinese used asparagus to relieve joint pain and even to treat infertility. It is among the seasonal, spring vegetables, with a fairly short availability period. It is a main ingredient in dishes, as well as a tasty side dish; in inconspicuous shoots, it hides a wealth of nutrients and vitamins, which have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the entire body. Asparagus is also a vegetable that can verify the "superpowers" we have in terms of smell.

Asparagus
1
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a perennial plant of the asparagus family.

It is the only edible representative of the Asparagus genus.

2
Asparagus naturally occurs in the Mediterranean and adjacent areas.

As a crop, it is widespread throughout the world.

3
The world's largest producer of asparagus is China, where it is grown on 70 thousand hectares.

The second producer is Peru with a cultivated area of 25 thousand hectares. The cultivated area in Europe is about 54 thousand hectares.

4
Asparagus is perennial which means that the same plants grow year after year.

Plants can grow in the same place for 15, 20, or even 30 years.

5
The young shoots of asparagus, known as spears, which appear in the spring, are used as a vegetable.

Several growing seasons must pass in order to taste the first asparagus.

6
Asparagus grows well in all areas of the country, except in the warmest regions, where, due to mild winters, the plants do not go dormant.

In that case, plants become weaker and begin to decline.

7
Young asparagus shoots grow above the surface of the ground in the spring and are ready for harvesting when they reach more than 20 cm in height and a diameter larger than that of a pencil.
8
Commercially available are white and green asparagus.

They are the same species, the only difference is the way they are grown.

9
White asparagus grows below the surface of the ground and green asparagus grows above the ground.
10
Asparagus is not only consumed, it is also used as a medicinal and ornamental plant.

Recent studies have confirmed its diuretic effect, facilitating defecation, lowering blood pressure, and its high content of vitamins, mineral salts, and antioxidants.

11
Asparagus roots and rhizomes contain asparagine (an organic compound from the group of endogenous amino acids), steroidal saponins, coumarin, coniferin, vanillin, rutin, volatile oils, carotenoids, amino acids, and unusual carbohydrates.
12
Asparagus is a diet vegetable, containing 17 kcal per 100 g.
13
Despite being low in calories and containing 95% water, asparagus contains a lot of vitamins and minerals.

They are rich in folic acid, vitamins C, and E, beta-carotene, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and also inulin, which is a prebiotic for intestinal bacteria.

14
Asparagus contains a lot of purines, which can cause the accumulation of uric acid in the body.

Those suffering from gout and kidney stones should watch out for them.

15
Asparagus is characterized by a delicate flavor.

They go well with meat dishes, fish, poultry, and other vegetables.

16
In some people, consumption of asparagus can cause excessive intestinal gas and unpleasant urine odor.
17
Roasted asparagus seeds are a coffee surrogate.
18
Asparagus has two subspecies.

One of them, Asparagus prostranus, grows especially abundantly on the coast of Cornwall, where one of the islands of the Lizard Peninsula is named Asparagus Island.

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