4,000 years of SPEARS

The earthy taste of asparagus has been revered by everyone from ancient Greeks to Michelin chefs

ASPARAGUS was considered a gourmet veg long before some adventurous chef decided to serve it topped with hollandaise sauce or wrapped in a slice of Parma ham. In fact, its succulent spears have been savoured for more than 4,000 years, with the Greeks, Egyptians, Persians, Babylonians and many other ancient cultures big fans of asparagus’s tender texture and mild, earthy taste.

But it was the Romans who seem to have revered the crop more than most. A recipe for asparagus can be found in Apicius, the oldest known cookbook in the world, published in the 5th Century. Prior to this, Caesar Augustus, first Roman emperor, established a fleet of ships whose sole task was to move fresh asparagus from northern Italy to the dining tables of Rome and other parts of the empire.

Fortunately, there’s no need to employ a crew of sea dogs to enjoy asparagus these days. It’s possible to grow this delicious perennial vegetable in an average garden, whether you have raised beds, a vegetable patch or even a small

kitchen garden. Another option is to dedicate part of an allotment to the crop. Once they get going, plants will provide pickings from mid-spring until early summer.

Spring is a good time to start growing asparagus from scratch but before you get too excited, I should warn you that it can take several years until plants are fully productive.

However, don’t be put off. Asparagus can live for decades, meaning you’ll never have to resort to buying those costly, small bundles of shoots we see in the supermarkets during the growing season.

Native to parts of the Eastern Mediterranean, asparagus is not just a tasty treat. Its young shoots are a bona fide superfood with many health benefits: they are a good source of Vitamins A, B, C and K, and are packed full of minerals such as copper, potassium, calcium and iron. It’s low in calories and sodium, and high in dietary fibre, which helps to keep your gut in good shape.

Here, we’ve been enjoying its culinary and health benefits since the 16th Century, with an early convert being herbalist John Gerard. He wrote in 1597 that asparagus spears should be ‘seasoned with oyle, vinegar, salt and pepper’ before being served. Seventy years later, Samuel Pepys noted in his famous diary that he bought 100 asparagus shoots in Fenchurch Street, London.

Back in those days, all asparagus would have been green – now, some 30 varieties are available in the UK and modern breeding has created ones with purple and reddish shoots, along with some that have a different coloured tip, giving spears a two-tone effect.

Some asparagus varieties are only available to grow from seeds, but you’ll have to wait at least three years before there’s anything worth picking. It’s far easier to start from dormant bare-root plants, known as crowns.

These are usually sold by their age: one-year-old crowns will provide spears within two years, while two-year-old crowns can be harvested after a year.

This vegetable likes a sunny, sheltered spot that’s protected from strong winds, and will prosper in light, free-draining soil. An alternative for those with clay soil is to build a raised bed, filling it with a mixture of 50 per cent composted manure, 25 per cent topsoil and 25 per cent grit.

As asparagus plants can remain productive for 20 years or more, thorough soil preparation is essential to get crowns off to a good start. Cultivate ground to a depth of 10in by forking over and removing weeds and stones. Rake until the soil has a fine texture, then walk across the surface with your heels to firm. Rake again to leave a flat surface.

Next, dig a trench 8in deep by 12in wide, and return some soil to make a 4in-high ridge down the centre. Rest crowns on top, 12in apart, spreading roots evenly down each side. Cover plants with 2in of sieved soil and water well. As shoots appear, gradually cover with more soil until the trench is full. Leave a 3ft gap between trenches. Those who start off with two-year-old crowns will be able to take a light crop of spears for a few weeks in April next year – in subsequent years, you can harvest as much as you like until mid-June.

If you plant one-year-old crowns, resist the temptation to pick anything next year. Feel free to sample a few spears the following season, but wait until 2026 to tuck in with abandon.