Wild asparagus plants still thrive in the Mediterranean, a place thought by some to be the plant's birthplace. Others feel because it relishes a winter freeze, asparagus probably came from the Baltic Sea area of northern Europe. In any event, the plant eventually made its way into Roman hands. Emperor Augustus even coined the phrase 'velocius quam asparagi coquantor' which translates as, faster than you can cook asparagus. We think he meant 'in a flash'. Cooking asparagus too long produces a limp, yellow gray veg reminiscent of the worst of institutional cooking.

Asparagus plants grow best from crowns. Once the plant gets rolling, in its second year, spears can shoot up as much as 10 inches in 24 hours. Asparagus is still harvested by hand commercially, with China the largest grower. South Africa and Spain are asparagus powers as well, along with the U.S. and Peru. Japan is probably the world's largest importer of asparagus.