Asparagus, ‘the queen of vegetables’, is highly prized for its delicate taste: mellow, earthy, verdant, seductive, luxurious, full of hope for the days of brightness and sunshine ahead – in fact, almost like springtime itself.
The vegetable has been in and out of favour over the centuries, but has become immensely fashionable in the last ten years, particularly in the last two. Its increased popularity may be because it is no longer perceived as an ‘upper-class’ vegetable. Asparagus features regularly in cookery sections of women’s magazines, possibly spurred on by a growing interest in healthy eating - asparagus is an excellent source of folic acid and vitamins, and is low in fat, calories and carbohydrates. Whatever the reason, the vegetable has become more accessible.