Vegetable
Asparagus
EspárragoEspàrrecAsparagus officinalis
White and green asparagus are the same plant: the white kind grows buried in soil and never sees the sun. The thin, bitter one that pops up wild along field edges is another species.
When
Around: Mar–Jun · At its best: Apr–May
Around: Feb–Jun · At its best: Apr–May
Around: Sept–Dec · At its best: Oct–Nov
Around here
In Catalonia, in spring, lots of people go out picking wild asparagus along field edges and in woods, and use it for the classic asparagus omelette. Cultivated green asparagus goes on the grill or the griddle. Nearby, Navarre has the Espárrago de Navarra PGI, for white asparagus.
At the market
- Firm, straight stalks that snap cleanly.
- Tight, closed tips; if they're opening or limp, they're old.
- Check the cut end: moist and pale, not dry, hollow or wrinkled.
- Pick a bunch of similar thickness so they cook evenly.
At home
- Like a bunch of flowers: standing in a glass with a little water, in the fridge.
- Or wrapped in a damp tea towel inside a bag.
- Use them within two or three days: they get stringy fast.
If you have too much
- Freeze them: woody ends off, blanched for two or three minutes depending on thickness, cooled in iced water and dried. About eight months.
- Bottle them in sterilised glass jars.
- Make a stock or a soup with the woody ends and peelings; strain it well.
In the kitchen
- Grilled or griddled, with coarse salt and good oil.
- Asparagus omelette, best with the wild ones.
- Raw, the thin green ones, shaved with lemon.
- Scrambled with eggs and green garlic.
- White ones boiled, with mayonnaise or vinaigrette.
- Roasted with ham or cheese on top.
What it brings
Per 100 g, raw.
- Energy
- 20 kcal
- Water
- 93% water
- Carbs
- 3.9 g
- Sugars
- 1.9 g
- Fibre
- 2.1 g
- Protein
- 2.2 g
Stands out for
- High in vitamin K41.6 µg · 55% of what you need in a day
- Source of folate52 µg · 26% of what you need in a day
- Source of iron2.1 mg · 15% of what you need in a day
Data from the USDA (FoodData Central). See the full table ↗ · How we decide what stands out
Goes with
- PeaFeb–MayAs soon as it leaves the plant, its sugar starts turning into starch. That's why a freshly shelled one tastes of something else: sweet, almost like fruit.
- Broad beanFeb–MayYou buy a kilo and end up with a handful: the pod weighs more than the beans. The first small, tender ones can even be eaten raw.
- LettuceMar–Jul · Sept–NovIt's nearly all water, which is why local lettuce wins: freshly picked, it crunches, while one that spends days in a lorry arrives tired. It hates strong heat: in August it bolts and turns bitter.
- StrawberryMar–JunStrawberries don't ripen after picking: if the shoulders are white, white they'll stay. Follow your nose: the ones you can smell from across the stall are the ones to buy.