This Useful Asparagus

Asparagus (Latin Asparagus) is a representative of the genus of asparagus semen. The shoots of this plant are used in cooking as a delicacy. There are about 100 species of this plant, which grows mainly in dry climates.

In Russia and Ukraine, there are eight kinds of asparagus, mainly as a perennial grass. Especially young shoots are used for food. Since ancient times, asparagus has been considered a "queen of vegetables" - a delicacy that was the decoration of noble tables and officials of the highest rank. She was present at the tables of the French kings, spoiled by delicacies, Roman emperors, Egyptian priests and pharaohs. Man has been cultivating this vegetable for more than 4 thousand years.

Asparagus is a very unusual vegetable, various properties were attributed to it, from healing to mystic. The Ancient Greeks and Egyptians were sure that asparagus is the first means in increasing potency (for sure, here its fault is the phallic shape of the stem), and the Romans, who adopted this culture from the ancient Greeks, considered it a means of premature pregnancy.

Thanks to the crusaders, this culture began to be cultivated in court, monastery and apothecary beds throughout Europe and the Middle East, in flesh to Palestine - now it was attributed to its healing properties against kidney disease, liver and as a cure for the evil eye. Maybe with the evil eye it was "bust", but that asparagus is a strong diuretic, everyone who is an admirer of this vegetable knows. He excels the slag from the body excellently, contains many vitamins and minerals necessary for man and practically does not contain calories. Vegetables this seasonal and the duration of its collection varies in the central part of Russia from 6 to 8 weeks.

The plant is perennial and every spring in the same place you can collect young shoots. The main condition is that this vegetable should be on the table as soon as possible, it can not be stored for a long time, and even in the cooled state, asparagus can be stored for no more than 4 days. There are 2 types of food for asparagus - green and white (although very rare pink and lilac), differs from one another in that one was planted less deeply than the second. Green managed to stick out the escape from the ground and turn green, while the white one is a real prisoner of the dungeon, she is cut off from the ground.

There are many types of cooking asparagus, but real and authoritative cooks recognize only one way of cooking this vegetable - it should be boiled. Before cooking, the stems are cleaned from the hard skin, and then bundled, the water in the pan is boiled, it is salted, added a little sugar and butter, and then dip and asparagus - the main thing is not to digest it (if the asparagus is thick, then cook it About 8 minutes, if thin - 5-th). Real gourmets eat asparagus separately from everything, but smoked fish or stew, young potatoes, ham or an omelet are great for it.

Recipes for cooking asparagus, as well as salads, first and second dishes, pancakes and much, much more, you can find on the culinary website http://priyatnogo-appetita.com , where all recipes are carefully selected, checked in the kitchen, accompanied by artistic photos and Do not contain any tasteless materials. :)