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Asparagus

© Allison Tyler

Asparagus is fab, except for that odd feature most people don’t talk about – “asparagus pee”. If you’re in the 80% of the population who’ve noticed your urine has an odd odor after you've eaten asparagus, click here to read an informative article from Discovery Online. Meanwhile, I’ll get on with talking about eating, rather than excreting, this tasty vegetable.

Asparagus is one of the earliest vegetables to appear in the Spring. Although available imported year-round, domestic asparagus is in its prime right now, so enjoy it while it’s plentiful and priced right. A member of the lily family (which also includes onion, garlic, chives, yucca and leeks), varieties range in color from green (what you are probably most familiar with) to purple (called Viola) to white (the European preference, white spears are grown underground and are generally thick and smoother than green spears), and from spears as thin as a pencil to as thick as a carrot. The size of the spear indicates the age of the plant it was picked from – thicker spears equal more mature plants.

Originally cultivated 2,500 years ago in Greece, asparagus is a Greek word meaning ‘stalk’ or ‘shoot’ (as in ‘stem’ or ‘bud’, not ‘hunt down and kill’). Ancient Greeks and Romans believed asparagus had many medicinal qualities, including the ability to cure toothaches and prevent bee stings. Ancient Egyptians cultivated asparagus as an offering to the gods. Many cultures tout asparagus as an aphrodisiac.

A serving of nutrient-rich asparagus (about 5 spears or 5.3 ounces) contains 25 calories, 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, no fat and is low in sodium. It also contains the following percentages of the USRDA for these vitamins and minerals:
8% Vitamin A
20% Vitamin C
10% Vitamin B6
2% Calcium
2% Iron
60% Folacin (Folic Acid)
15% Thiamin
6% Riboflavin
6% Niacin
4% Magnesium
4% Copper

When choosing asparagus, look for firm, unbruised spears with tightly closed tips. If the tip has an 'off' smell or looks slimy, don't buy it. Try to choose spears of uniform diameter so they’ll all cook in the same amount of time. When you get them home, the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board recommends you keep them “clean, cold and covered”. Wash in warm water several times to be sure any sand is rinsed away, pat dry, trim the stem ends about ¼”, wrap the trimmed ends in moist paper towel (or stand upright in about 2 inches of cold water) and either wrap the asparagus in plastic or seal into a plastic bag or airtight container to cover. Use within 2 to 3 days for best quality.