Asparagus officinalis facts for kids
Asparagus is a super cool plant that many people love to eat! It's a type of vegetable that grows back every year, which means it's a perennial. You usually eat its yummy shoots in the spring. When you hear people talk about "asparagus" as a food, they are almost always talking about this specific plant. It's known scientifically as Asparagus officinalis.
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What is Asparagus?
Asparagus is a plant from the Asparagus group, which belongs to the Asparagaceae family. For a long time, people thought it was part of the lily family, like onions and garlic. But scientists have since reclassified plants, and now asparagus has its own family, the Asparagaceae. This plant is originally from places like Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. Today, it's grown all over the world because it's such a popular vegetable.
How Asparagus Grows
Asparagus is special because it's a perennial plant. This means that once you plant it, it can grow back year after year from the same roots. It sends up new shoots each spring. These shoots are the parts we eat. If you let the shoots keep growing, they will turn into tall, fern-like plants. In the autumn, the foliage often turns a bright yellow color.
Eating Asparagus
People enjoy asparagus in many different ways. The most common part to eat is the young, tender shoot. These shoots are picked before they become tough or "woody."
Different Colors of Asparagus
You might see different colors of asparagus:
- Green asparagus: This is the most common type. It grows above ground and gets its green color from sunlight.
- White asparagus: This type is grown underground or covered with soil. This keeps it from seeing sunlight, so it doesn't turn green. It has a milder flavor.
- Purple asparagus: This type has a fruity, nutty flavor and is often eaten raw. It turns green when cooked.
How to Cook Asparagus
Asparagus can be cooked in many ways. You can steam it, boil it, roast it, or grill it. It's often served as a side dish with meals. In some places, like the Netherlands and Germany, white asparagus is a special spring treat. It's often eaten with ham, boiled eggs, potatoes, and a melted butter sauce. You can also find it in soups, like cream of asparagus soup.
Images for kids
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A multitude of cultivated asparagus bundles
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Serving of "white asparagus" with Hollandaise sauce and potatoes
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Asparagus shoot before becoming woody
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Asparagus foliage turns bright yellow in autumn.
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Cultivated asparagus output in 2005 shown as a percentage of the top producer (China) 100 10 1
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Steam boiling asparagus in a pot
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German botanical illustration of asparagus
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Green asparagus for sale in New York City
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In the Netherlands and northern Germany, asparagus is often eaten with ham, boiled egg, potatoes, and a melted butter sauce.
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Three types of asparagus are on display, with white asparagus at the back and green asparagus in the middle. The plant at the front is Ornithogalum pyrenaicum, commonly called wild asparagus, and sometimes "Bath asparagus".
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Asparagus officinalis next to the Columbia River in East Wenatchee, Douglas County, Washington
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Asparagus served with bacon and rice
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Wild asparagus (Asparagus aphyllus) native to the Levant
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Mature wild asparagus with seed pods in Saskatchewan, Canada
See also
In Spanish: Asparagus officinalis para niños
