Asparagus (Asparagus Racemosus)

The Flowers
It’s hard to say what the asparagus flower means. It’s totally discrete. Hard to see, hard to study. The botanists have included the asparagus in the family of the liliaceae. But, as it is known the other flowers of the liliaceae (like the hyacinth, lily of the valley, autumn crocus) are very pronounced and have nothing of the discretion of the asparagus flower. Even the color of the asparagus flower is discrete being a greenish yellow, barely seen from the context of the whole plant. Still, the asparagus flower is looked fro by the bees, the asparagus being honey-bearing.

The Leaves
The leaves of the asparagus are even harder to define. They can’t even remind of what usually defines a plant. The leaves barely have the shape of scales.

The stalk
This is also hidden, being mostly under the earth. It’s hard to say what the asparagus stem is. All we can consider as a stem is the part beneath the earth which is the rhizome. At the surface all we meet are the offshoots which are usually cut and send to the kitchen.

The seeds
It doesn’t even matter and few people know how they look. That’s because asparagus multiplies vegetative. The same offshoots that are so useful for our organisms are used for multiplying as well. They are planted, make roots and a new asparagus plant enters the amazing landscape of life on earth.

Scientific and common name
Living even up till 20 years, asparagus is frequently met in our spontaneous flora, but, being so important in the kitchen operations, it has become a crop plant. The general Latin name is Asparagus racemosus, the crop species being known as Asparagus officinalis. Currently this plant is known as asparagus.

Medicinal preparations
Vegetable eaten raw or boiled, the asparagus has surprising medicinal properties. The asparagus is thought to treat some general illnesses like asthenia, anemia, rheumatism, diabetes, and renal lithiasis, as well as being a natural aphrodisiac. It is firstly a fortifier. From the asparagus offshoots decoction, juice, syrup and tincture are prepared. Very often used is the asparagus juice, a preparation practically accessible to anyone. It’s easy to prepare if we use a mixer. Thanks to its bitter taste the asparagus juice has a bitter effect of good quality. It has to be mentioned that the discovery of the asparagus as a medicinal plant is quite recent for us, but in other countries like Japan, China and other countries from the Far Orient, its position in the healing plants lists is established and renowned for a long time. Maybe also in the far Orient the uncontestable aphrodisiac properties of the asparagus were discovered. An important aspect must be mentioned here: in medicinal therapies not only asparagus offshoots are used but also the rhizome and sometimes the roots.

Usual dishes
The bunches of asparagus offshoots (the offshoots and especially white offshoots represent the comestible part of this plant) are a common presence in many kitchens. And not for medicinal reasons, but because you can cook a lot of dishes using it, from salads and other greens to elaborated foods worthy of great feastings. It is remarkable that this vegetable allows the creation of a whole series of completely natural recipes. At a first glance the asparagus is not considered more than another vegetable from the long row of vegetables used in the kitchen and nothing more. Moreover, it can be said that it can be replaced with no trouble with other more accessible vegetables. Easy to say, easy to do, but…The specialists advice us not to judge this plant so lightly and here is why: the asparagus contains enzymes or substances that have the same action as enzymes and can produce very benefic transformations to the organism.

Aggressions
There haven’t been noticed any poisonous effects of the asparagus, just like usually there haven’t been noticed any poisonous effects regarding green beans, potatoes or peas.

Who can use the asparagus?
The men as well as the women can take advantage of the asparagus, notable effects being noticed not only when asparagus is consumed raw or especially in shape of juice, but also when is prepared like any other food. Asparagus is not recommended to the ones with rheumatism or cystitis.

Active principles
Having been demonstrated that it has a special role in the evolution of the processes regarding metabolism in the human organism, the asparagus is more and more looked for by the people who wish to maintain their health and make efforts to avoid illnesses. Then, which are the ingredients that build up the balance in of the enzymatic systems in the organism? Without doubt it’s hard to indicate the ingredient or the ensemble of ingredients in the asparagus that contribute to the good functioning of the machine called out organism. The asparagus contains proteins, glucides, lipids, cellulose, vitamins B1, B2, C, PP, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphor, sodium, iron, sulfur, and chlorine. Potassium is best represented in the offshoots of the asparagus. So, nothing surprising in this count and still the asparagus is a small rebel.

The impulse
The asparagus is a regulator of the enzymatic processes. The asparagus is directly and beneficially implying itself in the structure of our organism. A long time ago, the asparagus awakened the esteem of Plinius the Old. Here is what the great encyclopedic said in the first century of out era: “the species of asparagus are considered among the most useful for the stomach. With an add of cumin they fight the swelling of the stomach and of the colon, offer clarity to the sight, have a mild laxative effect, help in the chest aches and backbone aches and also in the intestinal illnesses, if it is prepared in a mixture with wine. The seed in quantity of three mites (1 mite=0.75 grams), drank with an equal quantity of wine is calming for the back and kidney aches. They (the asparagus species) have an aphrodisiac effect and guaranteed diuretic only if the bladder does not have swellings; after the opinion of many the root has the same properties. Minced and drunk in white wine, it eliminates the kidney stones, treats the back pains and the kidney. Some recommend the root drank in white wine for the uterus pains. ” Plinius the Old comes back and insists upon the aphrodisiac effect of the asparagus noting “some call the wild asparagus Libyan, and the inhabitants of Attica orminos. In the affections mentioned above it has a better effect than the cropped one, especially if it has a light color. It heals the jaundice. To obtain aphrodisiac effects the water in which it has been boiled should be drank, in the quantity of a hemin (1 hemin = 270 ml). The seed has the same properties as well if mixed with dill in quantity of three mites each”. There weren’t many things to be said after Plinius. More than that, many of his words were forgotten.

Asparagus Recipes