What do we eat when we eat asparagus?
When we eat asparagus, we are eating the stem of the plant. When we eat spinach or lettuce, we are eating the plant’s leaves. We eat the fruit of squash, cucumber and tomato plants. When we eat corn or peas we are eating seeds.
What is the biology of asparagus?
Biology. Asparagus is a herbaceous, perennial plant growing to 100–150 cm (39–59 in) tall, with stout stems with much-branched, feathery foliage. The "leaves" are in fact needle-like cladodes ( modified stems) in the axils of scale leaves; they are 6–32 mm (0.24–1.26 in) long and 1 mm (0.039 in) broad, and clustered four to 15 together,...
How did the ancient Greeks eat asparagus?
Greeks and Romans ate it fresh when in season, and dried the vegetable for use in winter. Roman Epicureans froze its sprouts high in the Alps for the Feast of Epicurus. Emperor Augustus created the "Asparagus Fleet" for hauling the vegetable, and coined the expression "faster than cooking asparagus" for quick action.
What are the dangers of asparagus?
This is thought to be caused by the sulfur-containing growth inhibitor 1,2,3-Trithiane-5-carboxylic acid, according to the New Zealand Dermatological Society. Eating more than a handful of ripe berries from the asparagus plant may cause abdominal pain and vomiting.
What part of plant asparagus do you eat?
You can eat the whole spear except for the woody stem towards the bottom. Hold the asparagus spear on each end firmly.
What part of asparagus can you use?
Snapped and Trimmed Asparagus Spears As you can see above, each asparagus spear will naturally break off at its own point. Discard the cut stem ends; the tops are ready to use. Once trimmed, you can use asparagus trimmed this way in pretty much any asparagus recipe.
Why don't you eat the bottom of asparagus?
The reason asparagus ends are thought to be inedible, is that they are extremely tough and fibrous, like a freshly broken tree branch. You can gnaw on them, but you're certainly not going to eat them. But the asparagus ends still have great flavor.
Is asparagus a stem or leaf?
Asparagus is a stem vegetable. This is simply because the plant stores energy in the stem, not in its roots. The stem is also the edible part of the vegetable, just like in kohlrabi. An example of a root vegetable would be a carrot, whereas potatoes fall under tubers (underground stem).
What part of asparagus is poisonous?
berriesLike the rhubarb, the part of the asparagus plant that we love – the young stems – are perfectly safe to eat. But the asparagus hides a deceptive, nasty secret: Its fruit, which are bright red berries, are toxic to humans.
Where do you break asparagus?
Simply take the end of the asparagus between your thumb and forefinger and bend until it breaks. Lest you think we are belaboring such an obvious point, let us say that the fun in this is that the asparagus automatically breaks just where the woody part ends and the fresh, juicy asparagus begins.
Why you shouldn't Snap the ends off asparagus?
THE BOTTOM LINE: You'll throw away more asparagus if you snap off the ends, and the spears won't look as long and elegant. For many reasons, we think trimming and peeling is worth the effort. SNAPPED: Snapping the natural breaking point means losing half the weight of almost every spear.
How do you eat asparagus?
Try adding shredded, raw asparagus to pasta dishes and salads. Alternatively, enjoy the spears lightly steamed or sautéed in a frittata, or as a stand-alone side dish. Asparagus is a nutritious choice, regardless of whether it's cooked or raw. Try eating a combination of the two for maximum health benefits.
Should you cut the ends off asparagus?
Whether you prefer your asparagus on the thick or thin side, it's important to trim the pale ends of each stalk because they tend to be woody and tough. You might be accustomed to simply bending each stalk until it snaps in half, especially if you grew up snapping green beans.
What type of stem is asparagus?
Asparagus is a herbaceous, perennial plant growing to 100–150 cm (40–60 in) tall, with stout stems with much-branched, feathery foliage.
What is asparagus stem?
Asparagus stalks, each of which represents a stem on the plant, are famously tender at the tips and hard and woody at the ends, so nearly every recipe you'll find online starts with trimming those tough bases before cooking.
Are asparagus leaves?
In asparagus (Asparagus officinalis; Asparagaceae), the scales found on the asparagus spears are the true leaves. If the thick, fleshy asparagus spears continue to grow, flat, green, leaflike structures called cladodes develop in the axils of the scale leaves.
Overview
Description
Asparagus is a herbaceous, perennial plant growing to 100–150 centimetres (40–60 inches) tall, with stout stems with much-branched, feathery foliage. The 'leaves' are in fact needle-like cladodes (modified stems) in the axils of scale leaves; they are 6–32 millimetres (1⁄4–1+1⁄4 inches) long and 1 mm (1⁄32 in) broad, and clustered four to 15 together, in a rose-like shape. The root system, …
Nomenclature
A. officinalis is widely known simply as "asparagus", and may be confused with unrelated plant species also known as "asparagus", such as Ornithogalum pyrenaicum known as "Prussian asparagus" for its edible shoots.
The English word "asparagus" derives from classical Latin but the plant was once known in English as sperage, from the Medieval Latin sparagus. This term itself derives from the Greek aspharago…
Cultivation
Since asparagus often originates in maritime habitats, it thrives in soils that are too saline for normal weeds to grow. Thus, a little salt was traditionally used to suppress weeds in beds intended for asparagus; this has the disadvantage that the soil cannot be used for anything else. Some places are better for growing asparagus than others. The fertility of the soil is a large factor. "Crowns" are pl…
Uses
Only young asparagus shoots are commonly eaten: once the buds start to open ("ferning out"), the shoots quickly turn woody. The roots contain starch.
Water makes up 93% of asparagus's composition. Asparagus is low in food energy and very low in sodium. It is a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fibre, protein, beta-car…
In culture
Asparagus has been used as a vegetable owing to its distinct flavor, and in medicine due to its diuretic properties and its purported function as an aphrodisiac. It is pictured as an offering on an Egyptian frieze dating to 3000 BC. In ancient times, it was also known in Syria and in the Iberian Peninsula. Greeks and Romans ate it fresh when in season, and dried the vegetable for use in winter. Emperor Augustus coined the expression "faster than cooking asparagus" for quick action.
See also
• Food portal
External links
• Kew Species Profile: Asparagus officinalis (garden asparagus)
• PROTAbase on Asparagus officinalis
• Asparagus officinalis – Plants for a Future database entry
• "World Asparagus Situation and Outlook" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2012. (55.0 KB) – 2005 USDA report