View source for Biology:Asparagus

{{short description|Species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae}}
{{stack|
{{Speciesbox
|italic_title = no
|name = Asparagus
|taxon = Asparagus officinalis
|status = LC
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|status_ref = <ref>{{cite iucn |author=Kell, S.P. |author2=Rhodes, L. |author3=Maxted, N. |year=2016 |title=''Asparagus officinalis'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T176377A19392993 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T176377A19392993.en |access-date=26 January 2022}}</ref>
|image = Asparagus-Bundle.jpg
|image_upright = 0.5
|image_caption = A bundle of cultivated asparagus
|authority = [[Biography:Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
|synonyms_ref=<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-275197| title = The Plant List, ''Asparagus officinalis'' L.}}</ref>
|synonyms={{collapsible list|bullets = true
|''Asparagus altilis'' <small>(L.) Asch.</small>
|''Asparagus caspius'' <small>Schult. & Schult.f.</small>
|''Asparagus esculentus'' <small>Salisb.</small>
|''Asparagus fiori'' <small>Sennen</small>
|''Asparagus hedecarpus'' <small>Andrews ex Baker</small>"
|''Asparagus hortensis'' <small>Mill. ex Baker</small>
|''Asparagus littoralis'' <small>Steven</small>
|''Asparagus oxycarpus'' <small>Steven</small>
|''Asparagus paragus'' <small>Gueldenst. ex Ledeb.</small>
|''Asparagus polyphyllus'' <small>Steven ex Ledeb.</small>
|''Asparagus sativus'' <small>Mill.</small>
|''Asparagus setiformis'' <small>Krylov</small>
|''Asparagus vulgaris'' <small>Gueldenst. ex Ledeb.</small>

}}}}}}

'''Asparagus''' ('''''Asparagus officinalis''''') is a [[Biology:Perennial|perennial]] [[Biology:Flowering plant|flowering plant]] species in the genus ''[[Biology:Asparagus (genus)|Asparagus]]'' native to Eurasia. Widely cultivated as a vegetable crop, Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable.

== Description ==
[[File:Asparagus officinalis 2.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|left|Adult plant with fruits]]
Asparagus is an herbaceous, [[Biology:Perennial plant|perennial plant]]<ref name="prota">{{cite book|title=Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2: Vegetables|publisher=PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen|year=2004|editor1-last=Grubben|editor1-first=G.J.H.|editor2-last=Denton|editor2-first=O.A.}}</ref> growing to {{convert|100–150|cm|ft|sigfig=1|abbr=off}} tall, with stout stems with much-branched, feathery foliage. The 'leaves' are, in fact, needle-like cladodes ([[Biology:Aerial stem modification|modified stems]]) in the axils of scale leaves; they are {{convert|6|–|32|mm|in|frac=32|abbr=off}} long and {{convert|1|mm|in|frac=32|abbr=on}} broad, and clustered in fours, up to 15, together, in a rose-like shape.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert|last=Diderot|first=D.|date=2009|chapter=Asparagus|access-date=1 April 2015|orig-year=1772|chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=did;cc=did;rgn=main;view=text;idno=did2222.0001.298|via=Collaborative Translation Project, University of Michigan}}</ref> The root system, often referred to as a 'crown', is adventitious; the root type is [[Biology:Fascicle (botany)|fasciculated]]. The [[Biology:Flower|flower]]s are bell-shaped, greenish-white to yellowish, {{convert|4.5|–|6.5|mm|in|frac=32|abbr=on}} long, with six [[Biology:Tepal|tepal]]s partially fused together at the base; they are produced singly or in clusters of two or three in the junctions of the branchlets. It is usually dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants, but sometimes hermaphrodite flowers are found. The [[Biology:Fruit|fruit]] is a small red [[Biology:Berry (botany)|berry]] {{convert|6-10|mm|in|frac=32|abbr=on}} in diameter, which is [[Biology:Toxin|toxic]] to humans.<ref name="gardengrow.co.nz">{{cite web|url=http://www.gardengrow.co.nz/plant/Asparagus|title=Growing Asparagus|last=Garden Grow.|date=n.d.|access-date=19 November 2019}}</ref>

Plants native to the western coasts of [[Earth:Europe|Europe]] (from northern {{wipe|Spain}} to northwest {{wipe|Germany}}, north Ireland, and Great Britain) are treated as ''A. officinalis'' subsp. ''prostratus'' {{small|(Dumort.) Corb.}}, distinguished by its low-growing, often prostrate stems growing to only {{convert|30|–|70|cm|abbr=on}} high, and shorter cladodes {{convert|2|–|18|mm|in|frac=32|abbr=on}} long.<ref name="fe">{{cite web |last=Flora Europaea. |date=n.d. |title=Asparagus officinalis |url=http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Asparagus&SPECIES_XREF=officinalis&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= |access-date=19 May 2010 |publisher=Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh}}</ref><ref name=blamey /> Some authors treat it as a distinct species, ''A. prostratus'' {{small|Dumort}}.<ref name="fnwe">{{cite web|url=http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=4839|title=Asparagus prostratus (Asparagus, Wild)|last1=Stace|first1=C.|editor-last=van der Meijden|editor-first=R. |work=Interactive Flora of NW Europe|publisher=ETI BioInformatics|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923070246/http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=4839|archive-date=23 September 2009|access-date=19 May 2010|editor2-last=de Kort|editor2-first=I. }}</ref><ref name=grin1>
{{GRIN | ''Asparagus prostratus'' | 5538 | access-date = 19 May 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Asparagus Tip.jpg|thumb|upright|Asparagus shoot before becoming woody]]

=== Chemistry ===
[[File:AsparagusinAutumn3.JPG|thumb|upright|Asparagus foliage turns bright yellow in autumn.]]

Certain compounds in asparagus are [[Biology:Metabolism|metabolized]] to yield ammonia and various [[Chemistry:Sulfur|sulfur]]-containing degradation products, including various [[Chemistry:Thiol|thiol]]s and [[Biology:Thioester|thioester]]s,<ref>{{cite journal |author=White RH. |year=1975 |title=Occurrence of S-methyl thioesters in urines of humans after they have eaten asparagus |journal=Science |volume=189 |issue=4205 |pages=810–11 |bibcode=1975Sci...189..810W |doi=10.1126/science.1162354 |pmid=1162354}}</ref> which following consumption give [[Biology:Urine|urine]] a characteristic smell. Some<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pelchat |first1=M. L. |last2=Bykowski |first2=C. |last3=Duke |first3=F. F. |last4=Reed |first4=D. R. |date=26 July 2010 |title=Excretion and Perception of a Characteristic Odor in Urine after Asparagus Ingestion: a Psychophysical and Genetic Study |journal=Chemical Senses |volume=36 |issue=1 |pages=9–17 |doi=10.1093/chemse/bjq081 |pmc=3002398 |pmid=20876394}}</ref> of the [[Earth:Volatile organic compound|volatile organic compound]]s responsible for the smell are:<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Waring RH, Mitchell SC, Fenwick GR |year=1987 |title=The chemical nature of the urinary odour produced by man after asparagus ingestion |journal=Xenobiotica |volume=17 |issue=11 |pages=1363–1371 |doi=10.3109/00498258709047166 |pmid=3433805}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Mitchell S.C. |year=2001 |title=Food idiosyncrasies: beetroot and asparagus |url=http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/cgi/content/full/29/4/539#SEC2 |journal=Drug Metabolism and Disposition |volume=29 |issue=4 |pages=539–543 |pmid=11259347}}</ref>
* [[Chemistry:Methanethiol|methanethiol]]
* [[Chemistry:Dimethyl sulfide|dimethyl sulfide]]
* [[Chemistry:Dimethyl disulfide|dimethyl disulfide]]
* bis(methylthio)methane
* [[Chemistry:Dimethyl sulfoxide|dimethyl sulfoxide]]
* dimethyl sulfone

Subjectively, the first two are the most pungent, while the last two (sulfur-oxidized) give a sweet aroma. A mixture of these compounds form a "reconstituted asparagus urine" odor.  This was first investigated in 1891 by Marceli Nencki, who attributed the smell to [[Chemistry:Methanethiol|methanethiol]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Nencki |first=Marceli |year=1891 |title=Ueber das vorkommen von methylmercaptan im menschlichen harn nach spargelgenuss |journal=Arch. Exp. Pathol. Pharmakol. |volume=28 |issue=3–4 |pages=206–209 |doi=10.1007/BF01824333 |s2cid=26430677}}</ref> These compounds originate in the asparagus as [[Chemistry:Asparagusic acid|asparagusic acid]] and its derivatives, as these are the only sulfur-containing compounds unique to asparagus. As these are more present in young asparagus, this accords with the observation that the smell is more pronounced after eating young asparagus. The biological mechanism for the production of these compounds is less clear.{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}}

The onset of the asparagus urine smell is remarkably rapid while the decline is slower. The smell has been reported to be detectable 15 to 30 minutes after ingestion<ref>{{cite web |author=Somer, E. |date=14 August 2000 |title=Eau D'Asparagus |url=http://www.webmd.com/content/article/43/1671_51089 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821225214/http://www.webmd.com/content/article/43/1671_51089 |archive-date=21 August 2006 |access-date=31 August 2006 |website=WebMD}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=O'Neil |first1=Carolyn |last2=MS |last3=RD |title=Why Your Pee Smells Funny After Eating Asparagus |url=https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/why-pee-smells-funny-eat-asparagus |access-date=2020-10-26 |website=WebMD |language=en}}</ref> and subsides with a [[Biology:Biological half-life|half-life]] of approximately four hours.<ref name="vanHasselt2016">{{cite journal |last1=van Hasselt |first1=J. G. C. |last2=Elassaiss-Schaap |first2=J. |last3=Ramamoorthy |first3=A. |last4=Sadler |first4=B. M. |last5=Kasichayanula |first5=S. |last6=Edwards |first6=Y. |last7=van der Graaf |first7=P. H. |last8=Zhang |first8=L. |last9=Wagner |first9=J. A. |year=2016 |title=The proof is in the pee: Population asparagus urinary odor kinetics |url=http://www.page-meeting.org/default.asp?abstract=5717 |journal=PAGE: Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the Population Approach Group in Europe |volume=25 |issn=1871-6032 |access-date=7 July 2016}}</ref>

== Taxonomy ==
Once classified in the lily family, like the related ''[[Biology:Allium|Allium]]'' species [[Biology:Onion|onion]]s and [[Biology:Garlic|garlic]], genetic research places lilies, ''Allium'', and asparagus in three separate families: the [[Biology:Liliaceae|Liliaceae]], [[Biology:Amaryllidaceae|Amaryllidaceae]], and [[Biology:Asparagaceae|Asparagaceae]], respectively. The latter two are part of the order [[Biology:Asparagales|Asparagales]].

=== Etymology ===
The English word ''asparagus'' derives from classical [[Social:Latin language|Latin]] but the plant was once known in English as ''sperage'', from the [[Social:Medieval Latin|Medieval Latin]] ''sparagus''.<ref name="anno1000" group="Note">
In the eleventh century AD the word "sparagus" appeared in an English text. See Brunning (June 2010), p. 6.&nbsp;– Brunning uses the term "in print", though no printing technique was used in England at the time. In the same sentence, she states that ''peasants'' often called it "sparrow grass", and further on mentions a 1667 diary in which Samuel Pepys bought a bundle of "sparrow grass" in Fenchurch Street, London.</ref> This term itself derives from the Greek ''aspharagos'' or ''asparagos'', but the Greek terms are of uncertain provenance: the latter form admits the possibility of a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to jerk, scatter," directly or via a Persian descendant meaning "twig, branch"; but the Ancient Greek word itself, meaning "gully, chasm," seems to be of Pre-Greek origin instead.

In English, ''A. officinalis'' is widely known simply as "asparagus", or sometimes "garden asparagus".

Asparagus was [[Social:Folk etymology|corrupted]] in some places to "sparrow grass"; indeed, John Walker wrote in 1791 that "''Sparrowgrass'' is so general that ''asparagus'' has an air of stiffness and pedantry".<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Walker |first1=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MGAJAAAAQAAJ&q=an+air+of+stiffness+and+pedantry%22+%5BJohn+Walker&pg=PA169 |title=A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary, and Expositor of the English Language |year=1806 |access-date=18 November 2016}}</ref>
The name 'sparrow grass' was still in common use in rural East Anglia, England well into the twentieth century.<ref>Ewart Evans, George "Ask the Fellows who Cut the Hay"</ref>

In Turkish, asparagus is known as ''kuşkonmaz'',<ref>{{cite web |title=How to consume asparagus |url=http://www.1organik.com/kuskonmaz-nasil-tuketilir-tilkisen-kedirgen-ayrelli.html |access-date=21 May 2017 |publisher=1organik.com |language=tr}}</ref> literally "[a] bird won't land [on it]", in reference to the shape of the plant.

== Distribution and habitat ==
Sources differ as to the plant's native range, but generally include most of Europe and western [[Biology:Temperate Asia|temperate Asia]].<ref name="POWO_531229-1">{{cite web |last=Plants of the World Online. |date=n.d. |title=Asparagus officinalis L. |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:531229-1 |access-date=31 May 2018 |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew}}</ref><ref name="fe" /><ref name="empp">{{cite web |last=Euro+Med Plantbase Project. |title=Asparagus officinalis |url=http://ww2.bgbm.org/_EuroPlusMed/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameId=38660&PTRefFk=500000 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811083221/http://ww2.bgbm.org/_EuroPlusMed/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameId=38660&PTRefFk=500000 |archive-date=11 August 2011 |access-date=19 May 2010 |publisher=Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem}}</ref><ref name="grin">{{GRIN|access-date=19 May 2010}}</ref> 

== 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 regions and [[Hardiness zone|gardening zones]] are better-suited for growing asparagus than others, such as the west coast of North America and other more maritime, “[[Earth:Mediterranean climate|Mediterranean]]” environments. The fertility of the soil is a large factor. "Crowns" are planted in winter, and the first shoots appear in spring; the first pickings or "thinnings" are known as sprue asparagus. Sprue has thin stems.<ref>{{cite web |title=Glossary – 'S' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/glossary/s.shtml?sprue_asparagus |access-date=8 June 2007 |publisher=BBC Food}}</ref>

A breed of "early-season asparagus" that can be harvested two months earlier than usual was announced by a UK grower in early 2011.<ref>{{cite news |date=19 March 2011 |title=New breed of early asparagus hits the shelves |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/8392483/New-breed-of-early-asparagus-hits-the-shelves.html |access-date=20 March 2011}}</ref> This variety does not need to lie dormant and blooms at {{convert|7|C|F}}, rather than the usual {{convert|9|C|F}}.

<!-- Already given above: The blanching of white asparagus is obtained by the labour-intensive hilling cultivation method, to distinguish its gastronomical qualities from those of the green plant, which is the same botanical variety. -->
Purple asparagus differs from its green and white counterparts in having high sugar and low fibre levels. Purple asparagus was originally developed in Italy, near the city of Albenga and commercialized under the variety name 'Violetto d' Albenga'.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Raymond |first1=Francine |date=21 May 2014 |title=Asparagus: this season's hottest shades to grow |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/howtogrow/10842082/Asparagus-this-seasons-hottest-shades-to-grow.html |access-date=21 May 2017}}</ref> Purple asparagus can also turn green while being cooked due to its sensitivity to heat.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-07-20 |title=Asparagus |url=https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/oregon-vegetables/asparagus-0 |access-date=2021-12-21 |website=College of Agricultural Sciences |language=en}}</ref>

<gallery widths="175px" heights="200px">
File:Illustration Asparagus officinalis0b.jpg|German botanical illustration of asparagus
File:Green Asparagus New York 11 May 2006.jpg|Green asparagus for sale in New York City
File:20120511Spargelernte7.ogv|Harvest of white asparagus in Hockenheim, Germany
File:Asparagus image.jpg|A multitude of cultivated asparagus bundles
</gallery>

=== Companion planting ===
Asparagus is said to be a useful companion plant for [[Biology:Tomato|tomato]]es, as the tomato plant repels the [[Biology:Asparagus beetle|asparagus beetle]]. Asparagus may repel some harmful root nematodes that affect tomato plants.<ref>{{cite web |title=Plants for a Future |url=http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Asparagus+officinalis}}</ref>

== Uses ==
The genome of the species has been sequenced as a model to study the evolution of sex chromosomes in plants and [[Biology:Dioecy|dioecy]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Harkess |first1=Alex |last2=Zhou |first2=Jinsong |last3=Xu |first3=Chunyan |last4=Bowers |first4=John E. |last5=Van der Hulst |first5=Ron |last6=Ayyampalayam |first6=Saravanaraj |last7=Mercati |first7=Francesco |last8=Riccardi |first8=Paolo |last9=McKain |first9=Michael R. |last10=Kakrana |first10=Atul |last11=Tang |first11=Haibao |last12=Ray |first12=Jeremy |last13=Groenendijk |first13=John |last14=Arikit |first14=Siwaret |last15=Mathioni |first15=Sandra M. |date=2017-11-02 |title=The asparagus genome sheds light on the origin and evolution of a young Y chromosome |journal=Nature Communications |language=en |volume=8 |issue=1 |page=1279 |bibcode=2017NatCo...8.1279H |doi=10.1038/s41467-017-01064-8 |issn=2041-1723 |pmc=5665984 |pmid=29093472}}</ref>

=== Nutrition ===
Water makes up 93% of asparagus's composition.<ref>Snyder, Harry. (1908). "Human Foods and their Nutritive value". The MacMillan Company.</ref> Asparagus is low in food energy and very low in sodium. It is a good source of [[Biology:Vitamin B6|vitamin B<sub>6</sub>]], calcium, magnesium, and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fibre, protein, beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, [[Chemistry:Rutin|rutin]], [[Chemistry:Niacin (nutrient)|niacin]], folic acid, iron, phosphorus, [[Chemistry:Potassium|potassium]], copper, manganese, and selenium,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2311/2|title=Nutrition Facts}}</ref><ref>[http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR23/reports/sr23fg11.pdf USDA Agricultural Research Service Data section 11 (pg 61)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113064505/http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR23/reports/sr23fg11.pdf |date=13 January 2012 }}</ref> as well as [[Chemistry:Chromium|chromium]], a trace mineral that regulates the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Anderson|first=R A|date=October 1997|title=Nutritional factors influencing the glucose/insulin system: chromium.|journal=Journal of the American College of Nutrition|volume=16|issue=5|pages=404–410|doi=10.1080/07315724.1997.10718705|pmid=9322187|issn=0731-5724}}</ref> The [[Chemistry:Amino acid|amino acid]] [[Chemistry:Asparagine|asparagine]] gets its name from asparagus, from which it was first isolated, as the asparagus plant is relatively rich in this compound.

{{nutritionalvalue
| name=Asparagus
| kJ=85
| protein=2.2 g
| fat=0.12 g
| carbs=4 g
| fibre=2.1 g
| sugars=1.88 g
| calcium_mg=24
| iron_mg=2.14
| magnesium_mg=14
| phosphorus_mg=52
| potassium_mg=202
| sodium_mg=2
| zinc_mg=0.54
| manganese_mg=0.158
| vitC_mg=5.6
| thiamin_mg=0.143
| riboflavin_mg=0.141
| niacin_mg=0.978
| pantothenic_mg=0.274
| vitB6_mg=0.091
| folate_ug=52
| choline_mg=16
| vitA_ug=38
| betacarotene_ug=449
| lutein_ug=710
| vitE_mg=1.1
| vitK_ug=41.6
| source_usda=1
| note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168389/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}
[[File:Spargel sauce hollandaise.jpg|thumb|right|Serving of "white asparagus" with Hollandaise sauce and potatoes]]
=== Culinary ===
Only young asparagus shoots are commonly eaten: once the buds start to open ("ferning out"), the shoots quickly turn woody.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/hort/ext/pubs/ho/ho_096.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010614030400/http://www.hort.purdue.edu/hort/ext/Pubs/HO/HO_096.pdf |archive-date=2001-06-14 |url-status=live |title=Growing Asparagus in the Home Garden; Section on harvesting |page=2 |publisher=Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service |access-date=31 January 2014}}</ref> The roots contain starch.<ref name="Skyhorse-2009">{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/277203364 |title=The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants |publisher=Skyhorse Publishing |others=United States Department of the Army |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-60239-692-0 |location=New York |pages=22 |language=en-US |oclc=277203364}}</ref>

The shoots are prepared and served in a number of ways around the world, typically as an appetizer<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-14 |title=10 Easy Asparagus Appetizers |url=https://insanelygoodrecipes.com/asparagus-appetizers/ |access-date=2023-07-26 |website=Insanely Good Recipes |language=en-US}}</ref> or vegetable side dish. In Asian-style cooking, asparagus is often stir-fried.  Cantonese restaurants in the United States often serve asparagus stir-fried with [[Biology:Chicken|chicken]], shrimp, or beef.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}} It may also be quickly grilled over charcoal or hardwood embers, and is also used as an ingredient in some stews and soups. In recent years,{{when|date=August 2017}} asparagus eaten raw as a component of a salad has regained popularity,<ref>[http://123recipes.com/Recipe/A-To-Z-Salad/Detail Salad Recipe] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100719041545/http://123recipes.com/Recipe/A-To-Z-Salad/Detail |date=19 July 2010 }}</ref> although may cause digestive issues for some.<ref name="Skyhorse-2009" />

Asparagus can also be pickled and stored for several years. Some brands label shoots prepared in this way as "marinated".

Stem thickness indicates the age of the plant (and not the age of the stalk), with the thicker stems coming from older plants. Older, thicker stalks can be woody, although peeling the skin at the base removes the tough layer. Peeled asparagus will poach much faster.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.drgourmet.com/ingredients/asparagus.shtml|title=Ingredients – Asparagus
 |publisher=DrGourmet.com
 |access-date=20 July 2011
 }}</ref> The bottom portion of asparagus often contains sand and soil, so thorough cleaning is generally advised before cooking.  Plants bearing seeds produce spears that are smaller and thinner, and plants without seeds produce larger and thicker spears.<ref name="UIllinoisExtension">{{cite web |last1=Wolford |first1=Ron |last2=Banks |first2=Drusilla |title=Asparagus |url=https://web.extension.illinois.edu/veggies/asparagus.cfm |website=Watch Your Garden Grow |publisher=University of Illinois Extension |access-date=May 3, 2020}}</ref>  Thickness and thinness are not an indication of tenderness or toughness.  The stalks are thick or thin from the moment they sprout from the ground.<ref name="UIllinoisExtension" />

Green asparagus is eaten worldwide, and the availability of imports throughout the year has made it less of a delicacy than it once was.<ref name="blamey">Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). ''Flora of Britain and Northern Europe''. {{ISBN|0-340-40170-2}}.</ref> In Europe, according to one source, the "asparagus season is a highlight of the foodie calendar"; in the UK this traditionally begins on 23 April and ends on Midsummer Day.<ref>[http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisure/4329516.Time_to_glory_in_asparagus_again/ ''Oxford Times'': "Time to glory in asparagus again".] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907192444/http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisure/4329516.Time_to_glory_in_asparagus_again/ |date=7 September 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-asparagus.co.uk/|title=Page Redirection|access-date=3 March 2009|archive-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090316131257/http://www.british-asparagus.co.uk/|url-status=dead}}</ref> As in continental Europe, due to the short growing season and demand for local produce, asparagus commands a premium price.

=== Commercial production ===
[[File:2005asparagus.PNG|thumb|right|400px|Cultivated asparagus output in 2005 shown as a percentage of the top producer (China)<br /> {{legend|green|100}} {{legend|yellow|10}} {{legend|red|1}}]]

The top asparagus importers (2016) were the United States (214,735 tonnes), followed by {{wipe|Germany}} (24,484 tonnes), and Canada (19,224 tonnes).<ref name="faostat">{{cite web |title=Food and Agriculture Organisation Statistics (FAOSTAT) |url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#rankings/countries_by_commodity |access-date=8 September 2019}}</ref>

China is by far the world's largest producer: in 2017 it produced 7,845,162 tonnes, followed by Peru with 383,098 tonnes and Mexico with 245,681 tonnes.<ref name="faostat" /> U.S. production was concentrated in {{wipe|California}}, Michigan, and {{wipe|Washington (state)}}.<ref name="faostat336">{{cite web |title=Food and Agriculture Organisation Statistics (FAOSTAT) |url=http://faostat.fao.org/site/336/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=336 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107164115/http://faostat.fao.org/site/336/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=336 |archive-date=7 November 2007 |access-date=11 November 2007}}</ref><ref name="nass">{{cite book |author=USDA |title=Vegetables 2005 Summary |date=January 2006 |publisher=National Agricultural Statistics Service}}</ref>
The annual production for white asparagus in Germany is 57,000 tonnes (61% of consumer demand).<ref>{{cite web |author=Spence, Molly |title=Asparagus: The King of Vegetables |url=http://www.germanfoods.org/consumer/documents/WhiteAsparagusPressRelease.doc |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013032017/http://www.germanfoods.org/consumer/documents/WhiteAsparagusPressRelease.doc |archive-date=13 October 2007 |access-date=26 February 2007 |publisher=German Agricultural Marketing Board |format=DOC |df=dmy}}</ref>

When grown under tunnels, growers can extend the harvest season. In the UK, it is estimated that the asparagus harvest season can begin as early as mid-February and continue into late autumn by growing cold-resistant cultivars under heated polytunnels. Furthermore, late season harvests can be achieved using 'reverse season growth' where spears are left to fern between March–August and harvested in September–October.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hart |first1=Carolyn |date=5 September 2015 |title=Asparagus in autumn? Meet the man behind its extended season |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/11838908/Asparagus-in-autumn-Meet-the-man-behind-its-extended-season.html |access-date=3 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=U.K. grower creates asparagus market |url=http://vegetablegrowersnews.com/article/u-k-grower-creates-asparagus-market/ |work=Vegetable Growers News}}</ref>

In Asia, an alternative approach to cultivating asparagus has been employed and is referred to as 'Mother Stalk Method' where three to five stalks per plant are allowed to develop into fern, while harvesting adjacent spears.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bhowmik |first1=Pankaj Kumar |last2=Matsui |first2=Toshiyuki |last3=Ikeuchi |first3=Takao |last4=Suzuki |first4=Haruo |date=November 2002 |title=Changes in storage quality and shelf life of green asparagus over an extended harvest season |journal=Postharvest Biology and Technology |volume=26 |issue=3 |pages=323–328 |doi=10.1016/S0925-5214(02)00062-5}}</ref>

=== White asparagus ===
[[File:Steam-boiling_green_asparagus.jpg|thumb|Steam-boiling asparagus in a pot]]
[[File:21 05 01 Daniela Kloth Spargel MG 0720.jpg|thumb|Asparagus with Hollandaise sauce]]
White asparagus is very popular in Europe and western Asia.{{Citation needed|date=September 2017}} White asparagus is the result of applying a blanching technique while the asparagus shoots are growing.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Creasy|first=Rosalind|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A7SHCgAAQBAJ&q=White+asparagus+is+the+result+of+applying+a+blanching+technique&pg=PA9|title=Edible French Garden|date=1999-03-15|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|isbn=978-1-4629-1759-4|language=en}}</ref> To cultivate white asparagus, the shoots are covered with soil as they grow, i.e. earthed up; without exposure to sunlight, no [[Earth:Photosynthesis|photosynthesis]] starts, and the shoots remain white. Compared to green asparagus, the locally cultivated so-called "white gold" or "edible ivory" asparagus, also referred to as "the royal vegetable",<ref name="witgoud_12">{{cite web|url=http://eten-en-drinken.infoyo.nl/producten/14450-wit-goud-en-koningin-der-groente-vorstelijke-asperges.html|title=Wit goud en koningin der groente: vorstelijke asperges|date=20 May 2009|publisher=Infoyo (web publisher)|location=Netherlands|language=nl|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119040848/http://eten-en-drinken.infoyo.nl/producten/14450-wit-goud-en-koningin-der-groente-vorstelijke-asperges.html|archive-date=19 January 2012|access-date=26 August 2011}}</ref> is believed to be  less bitter and much more tender. Freshness is very important, and the lower ends of white asparagus must be peeled before cooking or raw consumption.

Only seasonally on the menu, asparagus dishes are advertised outside many restaurants, usually from late April to June. For the French style, asparagus is often boiled or steamed and served with Hollandaise sauce, white sauce, melted butter or most recently with olive oil and Parmesan cheese.<ref name="French">{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KurMDAAAQBAJ&q=asperge%20livre%20cuisine&pg=PT354|chapter=“Chapitre XVI Légumes 71.Légumes” |author1=Jules Gouffé |author2=Etienne Antoine |author3=Eugène Ronjat|title=Le Livre de cuisine: Comprenant la cuisine de ménage et la grande cuisine, 1893.|date=5 August 2016 |publisher=BnF collection ebooks |isbn=9782346013760 |language=fr|access-date=28 April 2020}} (''Asperge'' is French for asparagus.)</ref> Tall, narrow asparagus cooking pots allow the shoots to be steamed gently, their tips staying out of the water.

During the German ''Spargelsaison'' or ''Spargelzeit'' ("asparagus season" or "asparagus time"), the asparagus season that traditionally finishes on 24 June, roadside stands and open-air markets sell about half of the country's white asparagus consumption.<ref>{{cite news|last=Evans|first=Stephen|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17753372|title=Asparagus, royalty and the joys of seasonal eating|date=21 April 2012|work=BBC News|access-date=22 April 2012}}</ref>

In western Himalayan regions, such as Nepal and north-western India, wild asparagus is harvested as a seasonal vegetable delicacy known as '''''kurilo'''''	or '''''jhijhirkani'''''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kamal Prasad Aryal, Sushmita Poudel, Ram Prasad Chaudhary, Nakul Chettri, Pashupati Chaudhary, Wu Ning, Rajan Kotru |title=Diversity and use of wild and non-cultivated edible plants in the Western Himalaya |journal=Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine |year=2018 |volume=14 |issue=1 |page=10 |doi=10.1186/s13002-018-0211-1 |pmid=29378614 |pmc=5789610 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

{{anchor|urine}}

== In culture ==
Asparagus has been used as a vegetable owing to its distinct flavor, and in medicine due to its [[Chemistry:Diuretic|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.<ref name="August" group="Note">Latin ''velocius quam asparagi conquantur'' (or ''celerius quam asparagi cocuntur''), ascribed to Augustus by Suetonius (''The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Book 2 ''(Augustus), para. 87). See List of Latin phrases (V).</ref><ref name="Brunning">{{cite journal |author=Brunning, Pam |date=June 2010 |title=Asparagus – Liliaceae–Asparagacease |url=http://www.iwfs.org/assets/upload/regions/europe-africa/Food_and_Wine/Food__Wine_June_2010_1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001042749/http://www.iwfs.org/assets/upload/regions/europe-africa/Food_and_Wine/Food__Wine_June_2010_1.pdf |archive-date=2011-10-01 |url-status=live |journal=Food & Wine |issue=103 |access-date=26 August 2011}}</ref><ref name="SAA_1">{{cite web |title=Over asperge – Oudheid |url=http://www.asperge.nl/nl/overasperge/oudheid/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331065257/http://www.asperge.nl/nl/overasperge/oudheid/ |archive-date=31 March 2012 |access-date=26 August 2011 |publisher=Stichting Afzetbevordering Asperges |language=nl}}</ref>

A recipe for cooking asparagus is given in one of the oldest surviving collections of recipes (Apicius's 1st century AD ''De re coquinaria'', Book III). In the second century AD, the Greek physician [[Biography:Galen|Galen]], highly respected within Roman society, mentioned asparagus as a beneficial herb, but as dominance of the Roman empire waned, asparagus' medicinal value drew little attention<ref name="OBFP">{{cite book |last1=Vaughan |first1=John Griffith |url=https://archive.org/details/newoxfordbookoff00vaug_0 |title=The New Oxford Book of Food Plants |last2=Geissler |first2=Catherine Alison |last3=Nicholson |first3=Barbara |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-19-854825-6 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="anno1000" group="Note" />
until al-Nafzawi's ''The Perfumed Garden''. That piece of writing celebrates its purported aphrodisiacal <!--adj: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/aphrodisiac--> power that the Indian ''Ananga Ranga'' attributes to "special [[Chemistry:Phosphorus|phosphorus]] elements" that also counteract fatigue.{{Dubious |reason=The Ananga Ranga was written a century or two before phosphorus was isolated, so it's unlikely to have attributed anything to phosphorus. If anyone can find phosphorus in the Ananga Ranga, please cite the place. |date=May 2020}}

By 1469, asparagus was cultivated in French monasteries. Asparagus appears to have been little noticed in England until 1538,<ref name="anno1000" group="Note" /> and in Germany until 1542.<ref name="SAA_1" />

Asparagus was brought to North America by European settlers at least as early as 1655. Adriaen van der Donck, a Dutch immigrant to New Netherland, mentions asparagus in his description of Dutch farming practices in the New World.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Blackburn |first1=Roderic H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nK5Au-cvOTwC |title=New World Dutch Studies: Dutch Arts and Culture in Colonial America, 1609-1776 : Proceedings of the Symposium |last2=Kelley |first2=Nancy A. |date=January 1987 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-1-4384-2989-2 |language=en}}</ref> Asparagus was grown by British immigrants as well; in 1685, one of William Penn's advertisements for Pennsylvania included asparagus in a long list of crops that grew well in the American climate.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Murphy |first=Andrew R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GTpxDwAAQBAJ |title=William Penn: A Life |date=8 October 2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-023426-3 |language=en}}</ref>

The ''points d'amour'' ("love tips") were served as a delicacy to Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764).<ref name="witgoud_1">{{cite web |date=20 May 2009 |title=Wit goud en koningin der groente: vorstelijke asperges |url=http://eten-en-drinken.infoyo.nl/producten/14450-wit-goud-en-koningin-der-groente-vorstelijke-asperges.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119040848/http://eten-en-drinken.infoyo.nl/producten/14450-wit-goud-en-koningin-der-groente-vorstelijke-asperges.html |archive-date=19 January 2012 |access-date=26 August 2011 |publisher=Infoyo (web publisher) |location=Netherlands |language=nl |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
{{external media | width = 210px | float = right | headerimage= [[File:Julia Child at KUHT.jpg|210px]] | video1 = [http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_B0D9EDA444FC425C8932E0BE8198AAA5 The French Chef; Asparagus From Tip to Butt], Julia Child, 25 April 1966, 29:16,  WGBH Open Vault<ref name="WGBHOV">{{cite web | title =The French Chef; Asparagus From Tip to Butt | work = The Julia Child Project | publisher =WGBH Open Vault | date = 25 April 1966 | url = http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_B0D9EDA444FC425C8932E0BE8198AAA5 | access-date =16 September 2016 }}</ref> }}

=== Effects on urine ===
The effect of eating asparagus on urine excreted afterwards has long been observed:

<blockquote>[Asparagus] cause a powerful and disagreeable smell in the urine, as everybody knows.
:— ''Treatise of All Sorts of Foods'', Louis Lémery, 1702<ref>{{cite book |last=McGee |first=Harold |title=McGee on Food and Cooking |publisher=Hodder and Stoughton |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-340-83149-6 |pages=315 |chapter=6}}</ref></blockquote>

<blockquote>asparagus... affects the urine with a foetid smell (especially if cut when they are white) and therefore have been suspected by some physicians as not friendly to the kidneys; when they are older, and begin to ramify, they lose this quality; but then they are not so agreeable.
:— "An Essay Concerning the Nature of Aliments", John Arbuthnot, 1735<ref>{{cite book |author=Arbuthnot J |title=An Essay Concerning the Nature of Aliments |publisher=J. Tonson |year=1735 |edition=3rd |location=London |pages=64261–262 |}}</ref></blockquote>

<blockquote>A few Stems of Asparagus eaten, shall give our Urine a disagreeable Odour...
:— "Letter to the Royal Academy of Brussels", [[Biography:Benjamin Franklin|Benjamin Franklin]], c. 1781<ref>{{cite web |last=Franklin |first=Benjamin |year=c. 1781 |title=Letter to the Royal Academy of Brussels |url=http://mith2.umd.edu/eada/html/display.php?docs=franklin_bagatelle2.xml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121215033705/http://mith2.umd.edu/eada/html/display.php?docs=franklin_bagatelle2.xml |archive-date=2012-12-15}}</ref></blockquote>

<blockquote>Asparagus "...transforms my chamber-pot into a flask of perfume."
:— [[Biography:Marcel Proust|Marcel Proust]] (1871–1922)<ref>From the French "[...] changer mon pot de chambre en un vase de parfum", ''Du côté de chez Swann'', Gallimard, 1988.</ref></blockquote>

Asparagus contains asparagusic acid. When the vegetable is digested, a group of volatile sulfur-containing compounds is produced.<ref>{{cite web |last=Stromberg |first=Joseph |title=Why Asparagus Makes Your Urine Smell |url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-asparagus-makes-your-urine-smell-49961252/?no-ist |work=smithsonianmag.com}}</ref>

Asparagus has been eaten and cultivated for at least two millennia but the association between odorous urine and asparagus consumption was not observed until the late 17th century when sulfur-rich fertilisers became common in agriculture.<ref name="Idiosyncrasies">{{cite journal |last=Mitchell |first=S. C. |year=2001 |title=Food idiosyncrasies: Beetroot and asparagus |url=http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/29/4/539.full |journal=Drug Metabolism and Disposition |volume=29 |issue=4 |pages=539–543 |pmid=11259347}}</ref>  Small-scale studies noted that the "asparagus urine" odour was not produced by all individuals and estimates as to the proportion of the population who are excretors (reporting a noticeable asparagus urine odour after eating asparagus) has ranged from about 40%<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Allison |first1=A. C. |last2=McWhirter |first2=K. G. |year=1956 |title=Two unifactorial characters for which man is polymorphic |journal=Nature |volume=178 |issue=4536 |pages=748–749 |bibcode=1956Natur.178..748A |doi=10.1038/178748c0 |pmid=13369530 |s2cid=4168673}}</ref> to as high as 79%.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sugarman |first1=J. |last2=Neelon |first2=F. A. |year=1985 |title=You're in for a treat: Asparagus |journal=North Carolina Medical Journal |volume=46 |issue=6 |pages=332–334 |pmid=3860737}}</ref><ref name="vanHasselt2016" /> When excretors are exposed to non-excretor urine after asparagus consumption, however, the characteristic asparagus urine odour is usually reported.<ref name="Idiosyncrasies" />  More recent work has confirmed that a small proportion of individuals do not produce asparagus urine, and amongst those that do, some cannot detect the odour due to a [[Biology:Single-nucleotide polymorphism|single-nucleotide polymorphism]] within a cluster of [[Biology:Olfactory receptor|olfactory receptor]]s.<ref name="ChemSenses">{{cite journal |last1=Pelchat |first1=M. L. |last2=Bykowski |first2=C. |last3=Duke |first3=F. F. |last4=Reed |first4=D. R. |year=2011 |title=Excretion and perception of a characteristic odor in urine after asparagus ingestion: A psychophysical and genetic study |journal=Chemical Senses |volume=36 |issue=1 |pages=9–17 |doi=10.1093/chemse/bjq081 |pmc=3002398 |pmid=20876394}}</ref>

Debate exists about the universality of producing the sulfurous smell, as well as the ability to detect it.  Originally, this was thought to be because some people digested asparagus differently from others, so some excreted odorous urine after eating asparagus, and others did not. In the 1980s, three studies from France,<ref>{{cite journal |author1=C. RICHER |author2=N. DECKER |author3=J. BELIN |author4=J. L. IMBS |author5=J. L. MONTASTRUC |author6=J. F. GIUDICELLI |date=May 1989 |title=Odorous urine in man after asparagus |journal=Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol. |volume=27 |issue=5 |pages=640–1 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2125.1989.tb03431.x |pmc=1379934 |pmid=2757887}}</ref> China, and Israel published results showing that producing odorous urine from asparagus was a common human characteristic. The Israeli study found that from their 307 subjects, all of those who could smell "asparagus urine" could detect it in the urine of anyone who had eaten asparagus, even if the person who produced it could not detect it.<ref>{{cite journal |author=S. C. MITCHELL |date=May 1989 |title=Asparagus and malodorous urine |journal=Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol. |volume=27 |issue=5 |pages=641–2 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2125.1989.tb03432.x |pmc=1379935 |pmid=2757888}}</ref> A 2010 study<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pelchat |first1=M. L. |author2=Bykowski, C. |author3=Duke, F. F. |author4=Reed, D. R. |year=2010 |title=Excretion and Perception of a Characteristic Odor in Urine after Asparagus Ingestion: a Psychophysical and Genetic Study |journal=Chemical Senses |volume=36 |issue=1 |pages=9–17 |doi=10.1093/chemse/bjq081 |pmc=3002398 |pmid=20876394}}</ref> found variations in both production of odorous urine and the ability to detect the odor, but that these were not tightly related. Most people are thought to produce the odorous compounds after eating asparagus, but the differing abilities of various individuals to detect the odor at increasing dilutions suggests a genetically determined specific sensitivity.<ref>{{cite news |date=23 September 2005 |title=The scientific chef: asparagus pee |url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/story/0,,1576765,00.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504232117/http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0%2C%2C1576765%2C00.html |archive-date=4 May 2007 |access-date=21 April 2007 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Hannah Holmes |title=Why Asparagus Makes Your Pee Stink |url=http://www.discovery.com/area/skinnyon/skinnyon970115/skinny1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229081018/http://www.discovery.com/area/skinnyon/skinnyon970115/skinny1.html |archive-date=29 February 2008 |publisher=Discover.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Lison M, Blondheim SH, Melmed RN |year=1980 |title=A polymorphism of the ability to smell urinary metabolites of asparagus |journal=Br Med J |volume=281 |issue=6256 |pages=1676–8 |doi=10.1136/bmj.281.6256.1676 |pmc=1715705 |pmid=7448566}}</ref>

In 2010, the company [[Company:23andMe|23andMe]] published a [[Philosophy:Genome-wide association study|genome-wide association study]] on whether participants have "ever noticed a peculiar odor when [they] pee after eating asparagus".<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Eriksson N, Macpherson JM, Tung JY, Hon LS, Naughton B, Saxonov S, Avey L, Wojcicki A, Pe'er I, Mountain J |year=2010 |editor1-last=Gibson |editor1-first=Greg |title=Web-Based, Participant-Driven Studies Yield Novel Genetic Associations for Common Traits |journal=PLOS Genet. |volume=6 |issue=6 |pages=e1000993 |doi=10.1371/journal.pgen.1000993 |pmc=2891811 |pmid=20585627 |doi-access=free}}</ref>  This study pinpointed a [[Biology:Single-nucleotide polymorphism|single-nucleotide polymorphism]] (SNP) in a cluster of olfactory genes associated with the ability to detect the odor.  While this SNP did not explain all of the difference in detection between people, it provides support for the theory that genetic differences occur in  olfactory receptors that lead people to be unable to smell these odorous compounds.

=== Celebrations ===
The green crop is significant enough in California's Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta region that the city of Stockton holds a festival every year to celebrate it. Oceana County, Michigan, the self-proclaimed "asparagus capital of the world" hosts an annual festival complete with a parade and asparagus queen;<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Asparagus Festival |url=https://www.nationalasparagusfestival.org/ |access-date=2020-10-20 |website=asparagusfestival |language=en}}</ref>  The Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire is the largest producer within Northern Europe,{{citation needed|date=March 2019}} celebrating with the annual [[Biology:British Asparagus Festival|British Asparagus Festival]] involving auctions of the best crop, an "Asparagus Run" modelled on the Beaujolais Run and a weekend "Asparafest" music festival.<ref>{{cite web |title=About the Festival |url=http://www.britishasparagusfestival.org/about/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327014443/http://www.britishasparagusfestival.org/about/ |archive-date=27 March 2019 |access-date=26 March 2019 |work=British Aparagus Festival |publisher=British Asparagus Festival}}</ref>

Many German cities hold an annual ''Spargelfest'' (asparagus festival) celebrating the harvest of white asparagus. Schwetzingen claims to be the "Asparagus Capital of the World",<ref name="CSMonitor">{{cite news |last=Davis |first=William A. |date=14 May 2008 |title=Buried treasure: white asparagus |work=The Christian Science Monitor |location=Schwetzingen, Germany |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0514/p17s01-hfgn.html?page=2 |access-date=26 March 2019}}</ref> and during its festival, an Asparagus Queen is crowned. The Bavarian city of Nuremberg feasts a week long in April, with a competition to find the fastest asparagus peeler in the region; this usually involves generous amounts of the local wines and beers being consumed to aid the spectators' appreciative support.
<!--"The town of Beelitz in the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan area" was mentioned here, situating it in northeastern Germany that (see Cultivation) is famous for asparagus cultivation — but not a word about a festival...-->

Helmut Zipner, who peeled a ton of asparagus in 16 hours, holds the world record in asparagus peeling.<ref name="CSMonitor" />

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Wild-asparagus88.JPG|Wild asparagus sauteed with [[Biology:Garlic|garlic]], ''naam plaa'', and soy sauce
File:Asparagus NL.jpg|In the Netherlands and northern Germany, asparagus is often eaten with ham, boiled egg, potatoes, and a melted butter sauce.
File:Crème d'asperge à la truffe.jpg|[[Biology:Cream of asparagus soup|Cream of asparagus soup]]
File:Asparagus3.JPG|Three types of asparagus are on display, with white asparagus at the back and green asparagus in the middle. The plant at the front is ''[[Biology:Ornithogalum pyrenaicum|Ornithogalum pyrenaicum]]'', commonly called wild asparagus, and sometimes Bath asparagus or [[Place:Prussia|Prussia]]n asparagus.
File:White Asparagus bacon rice.jpg|Asparagus served with bacon and rice
File:Asparagus aphyllus - 2018.jpg|Wild asparagus (''[[Biology:Asparagus aphyllus|Asparagus aphyllus]]'') native to [[Place:Levant|the Levant]]
File:AsparagusFernMilduraVictoriaAustralia.jpg|Asparagus in Mildura, Victoria, Australia
File:SkFernlikePlant.jpg|Mature wild asparagus with seed pods in Saskatchewan, Canada
</gallery>

==See also==
* '''''<small> </small>'''''

== Notes ==
<div style="margin-left:0ex;"><!--adjust value in case Reflist gets modified-->
{{Reflist|group=Note}}
</div>

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{EB1911 poster|Asparagus}}
* [http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:531229-1 Kew Species Profile: ''Asparagus officinalis'' (garden asparagus)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121211010030/http://database.prota.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=QBE_QUERY&BU=http%3A%2F%2Fdatabase.prota.org%2Fsearch.htm&TN=PROTAB~1&QB0=AND&QF0=Species+Code&QI0=Asparagus+officinalis&RF=Webdisplay PROTAbase on ''Asparagus officinalis'']
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Asparagus+officinalis ''Asparagus officinalis'']&nbsp;– Plants for a Future database entry
* {{cite web|url= http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/Hort_Circular/2005/08-05/Asparagus%20article.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121018213610/http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/Hort_Circular/2005/08-05/Asparagus%20article.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= 18 October 2012 |title=World Asparagus Situation and Outlook }}&nbsp;{{small|(55.0&nbsp;KB)}}&nbsp;– 2005 USDA report
* {{webarchive |url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20020917233130/http://ohioline.osu.edu/b826/index.html |title=Asparagus Production Management and Marketing |date=17 September 2002}}&nbsp;– commercial growing (OSU bulletin)

{{Taxonbar|from=Q28367}}

[[Category:Asparagus| ]]
[[Category:Dioecious plants]]

bn:শতমূলী
tr:Kuşkonmaz

{{Sourceattribution|Asparagus}}