Asparagus

History

Asparagus has been prized as a luxury vegetable for over 2,000 years, cultivated by ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans who considered it worthy of gods and emperors. The ancient Egyptians offered asparagus to their gods as early as 3000 BCE, with depictions appearing in hieroglyphics and tomb paintings. Greek physicians Hippocrates and Galen prescribed asparagus for its supposed medicinal properties, particularly as a diuretic. The Romans elevated asparagus cultivation to an art form—Pliny the Elder described meticulous growing techniques and noted that Emperor Augustus coined the phrase "velocius quam asparagi conquantur" (faster than cooking asparagus) to describe anything done swiftly. Roman gourmands prized the thick "Ravenna" variety so much that they maintained special "asparagus fleets" of fast ships to rush fresh spears from growing regions to Rome. After the fall of Rome, asparagus cultivation nearly disappeared in Europe, surviving mainly in monastery gardens where monks preserved Roman horticultural knowledge. The vegetable resurged during the Renaissance; French King Louis XIV, obsessed with fresh asparagus year-round, ordered his gardener La Quintinie to develop forcing techniques in heated greenhouses, making asparagus a symbol of royal excess. The Dutch perfected white asparagus cultivation in the 18th century by burying spears under soil mounds to prevent photosynthesis—this labor-intensive "white gold" became a delicacy commanding premium prices. German immigrants brought asparagus to America, establishing major growing regions in California and Michigan. The Martha Washington variety, developed in 1949 for rust resistance, became the standard American asparagus for decades. Purple asparagus varieties, naturally sweeter due to higher sugar content, have ancient origins but were reintroduced to modern gardens through Italian heirlooms like "Violetto d'Albenga." Today, asparagus remains one of the most expensive vegetables due to its perennial nature, hand-harvesting requirements, and relatively short season—yet home gardeners with established beds enjoy this luxury for pennies per pound, harvesting spears so fresh and sweet they're a completely different vegetable than store-bought specimens.