White asparagus

According to some studies, the asparagus spread in ancient times, from Mesopotamia and the area surrounding the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, to the most temperate regions. For a long time, it was mainly used for its medicinal and therapeutic properties and only afterwards in cooking.
There are white, purple and green varieties of asparagus. The white ones are the most fleshy and delicate. They differ from the green ones because they are grown under the sand to avoid the formation of the chlorophyll and, consequently, they have a less herby flavor and are used for more delicate dishes.

The white asparagus marketed by the O.P. C.O.P. are hybrids selected just for their quality.
The asparagus are cooked in different ways: stewed, which means cooked in a pan with little water and then dressed with oil and lemon, as pasta and risotto dressing, or in omelette. They are rich in minerals and they contain calcium, iron, phosphor, potassium and vitamins A and C.

Green asparagus

The term asparagus comes from the Latin asparagus, which means bud. The Romans gave the plant this name for two reasons: first of all because the apical part of the bud is the only edible one, secondly because the asparagus was believed to have medicinal properties capable of regenerating the human body, giving it new lymph. The scientific name Asparagus Officinalis L. owes its origins to Carlo Linneo, famous Swedish scientist who lived in the 18th century and who was the first to classify this vegetable. There are around 300 varieties of asparagus; the edible ones are no more than twenty and they are classified in terms of color which can be white, green or purple. The green asparagus marketed by the O.P. C.O.P. are hybrids selected just for their quality.
The green asparagus are the most common and they are largely used in cooking and in the most common recipes. They have an intense flavor, aromatic and bitterish. The asparagus is really appreciated for its diuretic and depurative action and is used as a remedy for heart diseases.