Asparagus

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Retrieved from Wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus

Asparagus officinalis is a plant species in the family Asparagaceae from which the popular vegetable known as asparagus is obtained.

The species probably originated in the eastern Mediterranean region but is now a widely-cultivated vegetable crop.

Cultivation and trade

Asparagus officinalis was entered cultivated more than 2000 years ago in the Mediterranean region , where Greeks and Romans used it for food and medicine. They ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter.

White asparagus, which tastes less bitter than the green variety, is cultivated by denying the plants light and increasing the amount of ultraviolet light exposed to the plants while they are being grown. Purple asparagus differs from its green and white counterparts, having high sugar and low fibre levels. Purple asparagus was originally developed in Italy and commercialised under the variety name Violetto d'Albenga. Since then, breeding work has continued in countries such as the United States and New Zealand.

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