Making the most of nutritious asparagus

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Asparagus is used to make a variety of delicious treats and light snacks, and soups and purees in cuisines around the world.

However, what many asparagus lovers do not know is that along with its pleasant flavor and crisp, tender texture, asparagus is also one of the most nutritionally rich vegetables.

In fact, long before it gained popularity in the modern culinary scene, asparagus was valued for its medicinal properties. In Greece, where the vegetable have been cultivated for around 2500, people have used it as a herbal medicine for cleansing and healing.

Research has proven the beliefs about asparagus' medicinal properties correct, as the vegetable is low in calories, has no fat or cholesterol and is rich in folic acid, thiamine, potassium and contains vitamin A, B6 and C. Asparagus is also said to be diuretic, laxative and refreshing.

A member of the lily family, asparagus is a young shoot that rises from an underground crown. There are two types of asparagus that are popular for cooking; the green and the white asparagus. Both types are in fact grown from the same plant, but when the white one is grown its shoots are covered with soil to keep them from turning green.

Experts say that asparagus is a perennial plant originating in the eastern Mediterranean region and it was the Roman conquest, which helped introduce it to other European countries, such as France, Germany and England, from where it spread to the rest of the world.

Currently asparagus is used in Chinese stir fries, cooked with shrimp or fish paste in Malay cuisine, deep fried as tempura in Japan and served with cheese and bread crumbs in Italy.

Executive chef at Margaux French restaurant at the Shangri-La Jakarta, Sean Macdougall, said that the vegetable can be used in various mouth watering dishes to be served warm, hot, cold or at room temperature.

Asparagus also goes well with various kinds of meat, such as lamb and even kangaroo meat. It can be prepared in a variety of ways. It can be steamed, poached, sauteed, fried and even grilled over charcoal.

Macdougall added that the crisp and tender texture of asparagus makes it suitable to be eaten alone or with melted butter, hollandaise sauce or fresh lemon juice.

"It's quite nice (when eaten alone). Traditionally people tie up the spears in bunches, gently poach them in water and just serve them with a slice of lemon. Or you can grill them over charcoal, which gives them a very nice smoky flavor," Macdougall said during the restaurant's asparagus promotion that runs until June 7, 2003.

Asparagus is mainly grown in Australia, the United States and Europe but both fresh and canned asparagus is available in supermarkets in Jakarta.

When buying asparagus be sure to choose only the freshest ones with compact spears, and firm stalks with no wrinkles on the skin. Green asparagus should have a rich green color and white asparagus should have a healthy whitish color.

Before cooking the spears, wash them well to remove any sand or soil. Peeling is only necessary to remove the tough skin on the stalk. When poaching asparagus Macdougall also advises to tie the spears in bundles so they can be easily remove from the pan after cooking.

The cooking time is usually determined by the size of the asparagus stalks but since over cooking asparagus may cause it to lose flavor, color and nutrients, Macdougall stressed the need to regularly gently press the stalk to check if the vegetable has been cooked to a tender and crisp texture.

He also added that a little creativity is needed to cook less crisp asparagus, which can be used to make soup, asparagus dip or a puree to accompany chicken and fish dishes.