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{{two other uses||the botanical genus|Asparagus (genus)|the colour|Asparagus (color)}}
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Asparagus officinalis''
| image = Asparagus botanical.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Liliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Asparagales]]
| familia = [[Asparagaceae]]
| genus = ''Asparagus''
| species = '''''A. officinalis'''''
| binomial = ''Asparagus officinalis''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
'''''Asparagus officinalis''''' is a plant species in the family [[Asparagaceae]] from which the popular [[vegetable]] known as '''asparagus''' is obtained.
The species probably originated in the eastern Mediterranean region but is now a widely-cultivated vegetable crop.<ref name="prota">Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.</ref>
==Uses==
===Food===
Asparagus has been used from very early times as a culinary vegetable, owing to its delicate flavour and [[diuretic]] properties. There is a [[recipe]] for cooking asparagus in the oldest surviving book of recipes, [[Apicius]]'s 3rd century AD ''[[De re coquinaria]],'' Book III.
[[Image:Asparagus3.JPG|thumb|232px|Three types of asparagus on display in a [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] grocery. At the back white asparagus, in the middle green asparagus, and in front wild German asparagus.]]
The shoots can be prepared and served in a number of ways, but are usually boiled or steamed and served with [[hollandaise]] sauce, melted butter or [[olive oil]] and [[Parmesan cheese]]. Tall asparagus cooking pots allow the shoots to be steamed gently. [[Guangzhou|Cantonese]] restaurants in the [[United States]] often serve asparagus stir-fried with [[chicken]], [[shrimp]], or [[beef]], also wrapped in [[bacon]]. Asparagus may also be quickly grilled over charcoal or hardwood embers. The best asparagus tends to be early growth (first of the season) and is normally simply steamed and served with melted butter.
The first pickings or 'thinnings' are known as sprue asparagus. Sprue have thin stems.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/glossary/s.shtml?sprue_asparagus |title=BBC - Food - Glossary - 'S' |accessdate=2007-06-08 |format= |work=BBC Online }}</ref>
The bottom portion of asparagus often contains sand, and as such proper preparation is generally advised in cooking asparagus.
===Medicinal uses and properties===
Asparagus [[rhizome]]s and roots are used [[ethnomedical]]ly to treat [[urinary tract infection]]s, as well as kidney and bladder stones.{{Verify source|date=July 2007}}
Asparagus is low in calories, contains no fat or cholesterol, and is very low in sodium. It is good source of [[folic acid]], potassium, fiber, and [[rutin]]. The [[amino acid]] [[asparagine]] gets its name from asparagus, the asparagus plant being rich in this compound.
Some of the constituents of asparagus are [[metabolism|metabolized]] and excreted in the [[urine]], giving it a distinctive, pungent [[odor]]. The odor is due to various sulfur-containing degradation products (e.g. [[thiol]]s and [[thioesters]]) and ammonia. It is only detectable by the noses of some people.<ref>{{cite journal
| url=http://www.studentbmj.com/back_issues/0800/education/277.html
| title=Why does urine smell odd after eating asparagus?
| journal=studentBMJ
| author=Roger JG Stevens
| date=August , 2000
| accessdate=2006-08-31
}}</ref>
Recent studies suggest that every individual produces the odorous compounds, but that only about 40% of individuals have the genes required to smell the odor.
<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,1576765,00.html
| publisher=The Guardian
| title=The scientific chef: asparagus pee
| date=September 23, 2005
| accessdate=2007-04-21
}}</ref>
The speed of onset of urine smell is rapid, and has been estimated to occur within 15-30 minutes from ingestion.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.webmd.com/content/article/43/1671_51089
| publisher=WebMD
| title=Eau D'Asparagus
| author=Elizabeth Somer
| date=August 14, 2000
| accessdate=2006-08-31
}}</ref>
A case of botulism borne on asparagus was recorded in Australia in 1991.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.safefood.net.au/AudienceHierarchy/TheBugBible/Clostridium+botulinum.htm
| publisher=Foodborne Microorganisms of Public Health Significance
| title=Foodborne Microorganisms of Public Health Significance
| author=Hocking, A.D.
| Date=1997
}}</ref>
{{seealso|List of asparagus diseases}}
==Cultivation and trade==
[[Image:GoshThatsALotOfAsparagus.jpg|thumb|right|232px|Green asparagus for sale in [[New York City]].]]
''Asparagus officinalis'' was cultivated more than 2000 years ago in the Mediterranean region , where Greeks and Romans used it for food and medicine. They ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter.{{Verify source|date=July 2007}}
White asparagus, which tastes less bitter than the green variety, is cultivated by denying the plants light and increasing the amount of ultraviolet light exposed to the plants while they are being grown. Purple asparagus differs from its green and white counterparts, having high sugar and low [[fibre]] levels. Purple asparagus was originally developed in [[Italy]] and commercialised under the variety name ''Violetto d'Albenga''. Since then, breeding work has continued in countries such as the United States and New Zealand.{{Verify source|date=July 2007}}
White asparagus, known as [[spargel]], is very popular in [[Germany]] where 57,000 tons (61% of consumer demands) are produced annually.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.germanfoods.org/consumer/documents/WhiteAsparagusPressRelease.doc
| publisher=German Agricultural Marketing Board
| title=Asparagus: The King of Vegetables
| author=Molly Spence
| accessdate=2007-02-26
}}</ref>
[[Image:2005asparagus.PNG|thumb|left|Asparagus output in 2005]]
[[Peru]] is currently the world’s leading asparagus exporter, followed by [[China]] and [[Mexico]].<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/Hort_Circular/2005/08-05/Asparagus%20article.pdf
| publisher=World Horticultural Trade & U.S. Export Opportunities
| title=World Asparagus Situation & Outlook
| author=United States Department of Agriculture
| accessdate=2007-02-27
}}</ref> The top asparagus importers (2004) were the United States (92,405 tons), followed by the [[European Union]] (external trade) (18,565 tons), and [[Japan]] (17,148 tons).<ref>According to Global Trade Atlas and [[U.S. Census Bureau]] statistics</ref>
The United States' production for 2005 was on 54,000 acres (220 km²) and yielded 90,200 tons, making it the world's largest producer and consumer when import quantities are factored in. Production was concentrated in [[California]], [[Michigan]], and [[Washington]].<ref>{{cite book
| author=USDA
| title=Vegetables 2005 Summary
| date=January 2006
| publisher=National Agricultural Statistics Service
}}</ref> The crop is significant enough in California's [[Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta]] region that the city of [[Stockton, California|Stockton]] holds a festival every year to celebrate it.
==Vernacular names and etymology==
''Asparagus 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 language|Latin]], but the plant was once known in English as ''sperage'', from the [[Medieval Latin]] ''sparagus''. This term itself derives from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''aspharagos'' or ''asparagos'', and the Greek term originates from the [[Persian language|Persian]] ''asparag'', meaning "sprout" or "shoot."
Asparagus was also corrupted in some places to "sparrow grass"; indeed, [[John Walker (naturalist)|John Walker]] stated in 1791 that "''Sparrow-grass'' is so general that ''asparagus'' has an air of stiffness and pedantry." {{Fact|date=February 2007}} Another known colloquial variation of the term, most common in parts of Texas, is "aspar grass" or "asper grass." Asparagus is commonly known in fruit retail circles as "Sparrows Guts," etymologically distinct from the old term "sparrow grass," thus showing convergent language evolution.
It is known in [[French language|French]] as asperge, in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] as espargo hortense, and in [[German language|German]] [[Spargel]].
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{commonscat|Asparagus officinalis}}
{{Cookbook|Asparagus}}
* [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.asparagus.org Everything About Asparagus] - comprehensive information from the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Asparagus+officinalis ''Asparagus officinalis''] - Plants for a Future database entry
* {{PDFlink|[http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/Hort_Circular/2005/08-05/Asparagus%20article.pdf World Asparagus Situation and Outlook]|55.0 [[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 56385 bytes -->}} - 2005 USDA report
* [http://ohioline.osu.edu/b826/index.html Asparagus Production Management and Marketing] - commercial growing (OSU bulletin)
* [http://www.foodsdatabase.com/LinkedLabel.aspx?FoodId=20284 Asparagus] - nutrition data
* [http://www.asparagusfest.com The Stockton Asparagus Festival] - held annually every April in [[Stockton, California]]
[[Category:Asparagales]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Stem vegetables]]
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Asparagus officinalis''
| image = Asparagus botanical.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Liliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Asparagales]]
| familia = [[Asparagaceae]]
| genus = ''Asparagus''
| species = '''''A. officinalis'''''
| binomial = ''Asparagus officinalis''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
'''''Asparagus officinalis''''' is a plant species in the family [[Asparagaceae]] from which the popular [[vegetable]] known as '''asparagus''' is obtained.
The species probably originated in the eastern Mediterranean region but is now a widely-cultivated vegetable crop.<ref name="prota">Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.</ref>
==Uses==
===Food===
Asparagus has been used from very early times as a culinary vegetable, owing to its delicate flavour and [[diuretic]] properties. There is a [[recipe]] for cooking asparagus in the oldest surviving book of recipes, [[Apicius]]'s 3rd century AD ''[[De re coquinaria]],'' Book III.
[[Image:Asparagus3.JPG|thumb|232px|Three types of asparagus on display in a [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] grocery. At the back white asparagus, in the middle green asparagus, and in front wild German asparagus.]]
The shoots can be prepared and served in a number of ways, but are usually boiled or steamed and served with [[hollandaise]] sauce, melted butter or [[olive oil]] and [[Parmesan cheese]]. Tall asparagus cooking pots allow the shoots to be steamed gently. [[Guangzhou|Cantonese]] restaurants in the [[United States]] often serve asparagus stir-fried with [[chicken]], [[shrimp]], or [[beef]], also wrapped in [[bacon]]. Asparagus may also be quickly grilled over charcoal or hardwood embers. The best asparagus tends to be early growth (first of the season) and is normally simply steamed and served with melted butter.
The first pickings or 'thinnings' are known as sprue asparagus. Sprue have thin stems.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/glossary/s.shtml?sprue_asparagus |title=BBC - Food - Glossary - 'S' |accessdate=2007-06-08 |format= |work=BBC Online }}</ref>
The bottom portion of asparagus often contains sand, and as such proper preparation is generally advised in cooking asparagus.
===Medicinal uses and properties===
Asparagus [[rhizome]]s and roots are used [[ethnomedical]]ly to treat [[urinary tract infection]]s, as well as kidney and bladder stones.{{Verify source|date=July 2007}}
Asparagus is low in calories, contains no fat or cholesterol, and is very low in sodium. It is good source of [[folic acid]], potassium, fiber, and [[rutin]]. The [[amino acid]] [[asparagine]] gets its name from asparagus, the asparagus plant being rich in this compound.
Some of the constituents of asparagus are [[metabolism|metabolized]] and excreted in the [[urine]], giving it a distinctive, pungent [[odor]]. The odor is due to various sulfur-containing degradation products (e.g. [[thiol]]s and [[thioesters]]) and ammonia. It is only detectable by the noses of some people.<ref>{{cite journal
| url=http://www.studentbmj.com/back_issues/0800/education/277.html
| title=Why does urine smell odd after eating asparagus?
| journal=studentBMJ
| author=Roger JG Stevens
| date=August , 2000
| accessdate=2006-08-31
}}</ref>
Recent studies suggest that every individual produces the odorous compounds, but that only about 40% of individuals have the genes required to smell the odor.
<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,1576765,00.html
| publisher=The Guardian
| title=The scientific chef: asparagus pee
| date=September 23, 2005
| accessdate=2007-04-21
}}</ref>
The speed of onset of urine smell is rapid, and has been estimated to occur within 15-30 minutes from ingestion.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.webmd.com/content/article/43/1671_51089
| publisher=WebMD
| title=Eau D'Asparagus
| author=Elizabeth Somer
| date=August 14, 2000
| accessdate=2006-08-31
}}</ref>
A case of botulism borne on asparagus was recorded in Australia in 1991.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.safefood.net.au/AudienceHierarchy/TheBugBible/Clostridium+botulinum.htm
| publisher=Foodborne Microorganisms of Public Health Significance
| title=Foodborne Microorganisms of Public Health Significance
| author=Hocking, A.D.
| Date=1997
}}</ref>
{{seealso|List of asparagus diseases}}
==Cultivation and trade==
[[Image:GoshThatsALotOfAsparagus.jpg|thumb|right|232px|Green asparagus for sale in [[New York City]].]]
''Asparagus officinalis'' was cultivated more than 2000 years ago in the Mediterranean region , where Greeks and Romans used it for food and medicine. They ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter.{{Verify source|date=July 2007}}
White asparagus, which tastes less bitter than the green variety, is cultivated by denying the plants light and increasing the amount of ultraviolet light exposed to the plants while they are being grown. Purple asparagus differs from its green and white counterparts, having high sugar and low [[fibre]] levels. Purple asparagus was originally developed in [[Italy]] and commercialised under the variety name ''Violetto d'Albenga''. Since then, breeding work has continued in countries such as the United States and New Zealand.{{Verify source|date=July 2007}}
White asparagus, known as [[spargel]], is very popular in [[Germany]] where 57,000 tons (61% of consumer demands) are produced annually.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.germanfoods.org/consumer/documents/WhiteAsparagusPressRelease.doc
| publisher=German Agricultural Marketing Board
| title=Asparagus: The King of Vegetables
| author=Molly Spence
| accessdate=2007-02-26
}}</ref>
[[Image:2005asparagus.PNG|thumb|left|Asparagus output in 2005]]
[[Peru]] is currently the world’s leading asparagus exporter, followed by [[China]] and [[Mexico]].<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/Hort_Circular/2005/08-05/Asparagus%20article.pdf
| publisher=World Horticultural Trade & U.S. Export Opportunities
| title=World Asparagus Situation & Outlook
| author=United States Department of Agriculture
| accessdate=2007-02-27
}}</ref> The top asparagus importers (2004) were the United States (92,405 tons), followed by the [[European Union]] (external trade) (18,565 tons), and [[Japan]] (17,148 tons).<ref>According to Global Trade Atlas and [[U.S. Census Bureau]] statistics</ref>
The United States' production for 2005 was on 54,000 acres (220 km²) and yielded 90,200 tons, making it the world's largest producer and consumer when import quantities are factored in. Production was concentrated in [[California]], [[Michigan]], and [[Washington]].<ref>{{cite book
| author=USDA
| title=Vegetables 2005 Summary
| date=January 2006
| publisher=National Agricultural Statistics Service
}}</ref> The crop is significant enough in California's [[Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta]] region that the city of [[Stockton, California|Stockton]] holds a festival every year to celebrate it.
==Vernacular names and etymology==
''Asparagus 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 language|Latin]], but the plant was once known in English as ''sperage'', from the [[Medieval Latin]] ''sparagus''. This term itself derives from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''aspharagos'' or ''asparagos'', and the Greek term originates from the [[Persian language|Persian]] ''asparag'', meaning "sprout" or "shoot."
Asparagus was also corrupted in some places to "sparrow grass"; indeed, [[John Walker (naturalist)|John Walker]] stated in 1791 that "''Sparrow-grass'' is so general that ''asparagus'' has an air of stiffness and pedantry." {{Fact|date=February 2007}} Another known colloquial variation of the term, most common in parts of Texas, is "aspar grass" or "asper grass." Asparagus is commonly known in fruit retail circles as "Sparrows Guts," etymologically distinct from the old term "sparrow grass," thus showing convergent language evolution.
It is known in [[French language|French]] as asperge, in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] as espargo hortense, and in [[German language|German]] [[Spargel]].
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{commonscat|Asparagus officinalis}}
{{Cookbook|Asparagus}}
* [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.asparagus.org Everything About Asparagus] - comprehensive information from the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Asparagus+officinalis ''Asparagus officinalis''] - Plants for a Future database entry
* {{PDFlink|[http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/Hort_Circular/2005/08-05/Asparagus%20article.pdf World Asparagus Situation and Outlook]|55.0 [[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 56385 bytes -->}} - 2005 USDA report
* [http://ohioline.osu.edu/b826/index.html Asparagus Production Management and Marketing] - commercial growing (OSU bulletin)
* [http://www.foodsdatabase.com/LinkedLabel.aspx?FoodId=20284 Asparagus] - nutrition data
* [http://www.asparagusfest.com The Stockton Asparagus Festival] - held annually every April in [[Stockton, California]]
[[Category:Asparagales]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Stem vegetables]]