Asparagus
The cultivation of asparagus began more than 2,000
years ago in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
The name asparagus comes from the Greek word
asparagos meaning "sprout" or "shoot".
The asparagus is the young edible shoot that
grows out from an underground stem or rhizome. The same stem can
produce asparagus for 15 to 20 years. The
asparagus is picked in the spring while it is
soft, fleshy and 15 to 20 centimetres long.
There are about twenty varieties of edible
asparagus which are divided into three groups;
green asparagus which are the most common, violet
asparagus which have a distinctive fruity flavour
and white asparagus which are the result of
etiolating, better known as light deprivation.
Today, large quantities of asparagus are
cultivated in Quebec.
 Grilled Scallops with Portobello Mushrooms and Pancetta-wrapped Asparagus |
 Quebec Asparagus Brouillade |
 Grilled Asparagus with Aged Cheddar and Marinated Mushroom Salad |
 Citrus Asparagus |
 Crêpes Stuffed with Ham, Cheese and Asparagus |
 Shrimp and Asparagus Cocktails with a Citrus Zing |
Click here and discover all our recipes with asparagus !
- Choose asparagus with bright, shiny, crisp stalks and compact, slightly purple tips.
- A soft, yellowish or dried out stalk and an opened tip is a sign that the vegetable is not fresh. Select small asparagus that are young and tender.
- Before cooking asparagus, remove the hard fibrous part at the base of the stem. Hold the base of the stem with one hand and the centre of the stalk with your other hand. Bend the stem slightly until it snaps. The break will automatically occur where the soft and hard spots meet.
- You may also choose to peel the stalk of larger spears of asparagus, without touching the tip, especially in the case of white asparagus.
- Cooked asparagus can be eaten warm or cold with a pat of butter, a splash of vinaigrette or a little mayonnaise.
- To serve as an appetizer, approximately 250 grams per person should suffice. As a vegetable side dish, reduce the portion to roughly 125 grams per person.
- Asparagus make great clear and cream soups. They are also excellent in mixed salads, pasta, risotto and quiches.
- Use asparagus stalks to make a cream of asparagus soup or freeze them for later use.
- Tie the asparagus spears in a bunch to facilitate their removal from the cooking pot once ready.
- Cook the asparagus spears for 4 to 5 minutes in boiling salt water, or steam from 5 to 7 minutes in a steamer.
- Place the asparagus in a rectangular dish filled with a small amount of water and salt. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave 8 or 9 minutes.
- Avoid overcooking the asparagus because it will become soft and lose its flavour and colour; it should remain slightly crunchy (al dente).
A limited source of energy, the asparagus is rich in folic acid, fibre, potassium, copper, zinc and vitamins A and C.
Asparagus will stay fresh a few days in the refrigerator, wrapped in wet cloth. Another way to store asparagus is to cut one or two centimetres off the base of the vegetables and stand them in a jar with a little water.