Asparagus makes spring

With its particularly delicate taste, local production, short season, health benefits and ease of preparation, asparagus seems to have it all! And whether white, green or purple, asparagus is an attractive market product. And you've got all the ingredients for a best-seller.

Its cultivation goes back thousands of years, since it was already highly appreciated by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans... but it fell into oblivion until the Renaissance, when it regained the favor of the aristocracy. In the 19th century, asparagus was grown in Argenteuil, near Paris. During the Commune, a gendarme escaped from Paris, then besieged by the Prussians, and seized the opportunity of a hideout near an asparagus field to take some with him on his escape to Sologne, where he planted some. It's a winner. The asparagus thus made a name for itself thanks to more widespread cultivation in France. Today, France is Europe's 4th largest producer, with asparagus growers based mainly in the departments of Bas-Rhin, Gard, Gironde, Landes and Maine-et-Loire.

Give me your color and I'll tell you who you are...

Depending on their color - white, purple or green - asparagus has different tastes. White asparagus grows under a mound of earth that guarantees its milky complexion. Picked before the tip has even emerged, it has an extremely delicate taste. Purple asparagus, on the other hand, is exposed to light very quickly before harvesting, which gives it its color. It is described as mellow and fruity. Green asparagus, which is fully exposed to the sun, has a more pronounced flavor. Finally, wild asparagus is green, free and wild, as its name suggests, and ultra-fine in size, developing bitter flavors that need to be tamed.

IGP

With two Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs), a standard protecting the quality of a product, highlighting its excellence, whether produced, processed or elaborated in a delimited area.With two Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs) (asparagus from the sands of the Landes and asparagus from the Blayais), demanding consumers can choose an asparagus with a guarantee of quality.

The IGP asperges des sables des Landes, created in 2005, guarantees the origin of the asparagus. The sables des Landes delimitation covers the sandy plains of the Landes and Gascony regions, with a total surface area of 1.4 million hectares.

The IGP asparagus du Blayais, created in 2015, designates white or purple asparagus from Gironde and Charente-Maritime, whose 95-hectare production area delivers an average of 150 tons a year, according to the INAO's 2015 report.

Healthy shoots

The whole part of the plant, tip and turion, is eaten. Low in calories (25 calories per 100 g), asparagus is rich in fiber, minerals and trace elements: manganese, phosphorus, selenium, zinc, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, C and E. Don't waste any more! Diuretic, they are ideal for people with kidney problems, they facilitate intestinal transit thanks to their fibrous composition, are rich in antioxidant components, and "fight insomnia and depression", we're told... But you'll have to eat a lot of them... so get cooking!

To your ovens

While new recipes tend to reduce cooking time, asparagus is best eaten cooked. Steamed or plunged into boiling water, then prepared with vinaigrette or mayo sauce, these are the most common versions. It's worth noting that this vegetable doesn't go well with wine, even if the Confrérie de l'asperge et des vins blancs de Tutiac (Tutiac asparagus and white wine brotherhood) is involved in marrying complex flavors. After all, turions are perfect for a variety of recipes.

Chefs' recipes

By Pierre Augé, Maison de Petit Pierre, 2 toques 14,5/20

22, avenue Pierre-Verdier, 34500 Béziers.

Crêpe soufflée with wild asparagus by Pierre Augé from Maison de Petit Pierre - Gault & Millau

Kazuyuki Tanak, Racine, 3 toques 16/20

6, place Godinot, 51100 Reims.

Quail, asparagus and strawberries Kazuyuki Tanaka - Gault & Millau