Asparagus
Asparagus is very famous in Chinese cuisine. It is a perennial plant in the lily family with pencil-thin spears and delicate flavor. Its spears range from thick jumbo to pencil-thin in size.
Other Names:
Sparrowgrass.
Season:
In American supermarkets, except from November to July, asparagus is provided year-round, you can always find asparagus in high quality.
Purchasing tips:
When choosing asparagus, we’d recommend you select straight and firm spears with green color, do not choose the one with white, large, or woody stalks, neither ones with smelly or wet tips. The cut ends should be light-colored or in white meanwhile the spears of fresh asparagus can be easily snapped when bent.
Storage:
Before you place them in plastic bags, trim off 1 inch long from the stem of each spear and then wrap the fresh-cut area in wet paper towel, finally store it in the vegetable crisper for 2 days or so.
Preparation and Usage:
Cut off each stalk at its natural breaking point, on top of the tough white part or just peel the bottom third of the asparagus spears. Before cooking, blanch them in boiling water for around 3 minutes and then place it in cold water to stop the cooking, drain well and cut, stir fry with other vegetables or serve as a salad.
Nutritional and Health Benefits:
Ingestion of asparagus may bring an attack of gout in certain individuals owing to the high level of purines.
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