The asparagus is the shoot of the asparagus plant, that is harvested unripe, before it branches and hardens. According to the handling during the culture two types are obtained: white and green. It adapts to multiple dishes and recipes, and it is well-preserved tinned or in glass jars. It hardly provides nutrients to the organism.

The asparagus has few medicinal properties. It is considered a sedative foodstuff, so it is recommended against palpitations, to cure liquid retention, arthritis or diabetes.

The asparagus is the shoot of the asparagus plant, Asparagus officinalis, that is harvested unripe, before it branches and hardens. According to the handling during the culture two types are obtained: white and green. It adapts to multiple dishes and recipes, and it is well-preserved tinned or in glass jars. It hardly provides nutrients to the organism.

The shoots are cylindrical and fleshy, having fine protective, scale or needle-like leaves. These leaves condense and tighten in the apex forming the tip of the asparagus.

There are two types of asparagus cultivated, the green and the white. The colour does not really depend on the variety, but on the culture method. The white asparagus are buried, so they do not have direct sunlight and do not synthesise chlorophyll, that confers the green colour on the plant. However, there are varieties which are more suitable for obtaining one type of asparagus or another. There is also a type called wild asparagus, which comes from another species of plant.

At present, the asparagus are cultivated all over the world, although the producing country par excellence is China, amounting approximately 80% of the world-wide production.

The asparagus adapts to different types of cooking: soups, puree, omelettes, mousse,... although they are usually stewed, fried, grilled or boiled. They are also used to garnish many meat, fish and vegetable dishes.

It is a species that adapts very well to the industrial processing, to be preserved until they are eaten. The type of asparagus that is usually preserved is the white one, either in tins or in glass jars.

It has a very low nutritious value, although it is rich in fibre and low in calories, reason why it is recommended in diets. Their high water content and their small proportion of minerals give them diuretic properties.

The asparagus is a perennial plant that belongs to the family of the Liliaceous. Its scientific name is Asparagus officinalis. The productive life of this species is of 7 or 8 years, although the wild asparagus may live for 30 years.

This plant has a very powerful root system, where it keeps the reserves needed to sprout the following year. It is formed by many fleshy roots that grow horizontally.

The stem is formed by a disc or stump, on which the shoots grow, giving birth to the asparagus or turion. The group of roots, stem and buds is called crown.

During the spring the turions begin their development, when the temperatures reach 10-12ºC. If they are not harvested they reach 15 or 20cm of height, and they branch, they harden and there grow the leaves, that are thin and short. The stems of the green varieties grow higher than those of the white asparagus.

The asparagus is a dioecious plant, which means that there are plants with only masculine flowers and others with feminine flowers. The fruit of the asparagus is a berry of 6mm of diameter and intense red colour.

In irrigated land the plants may reach 1,2-1,5m high, whereas in dry land they hardly reach one meter. At the end of the season the aerial part dries and dies. During the following spring new buds will sprout, that will give rise to more turions.