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Between history and legend
Bassano white asparagus has ancient and legendary origins that take us back to a historical period between 1200 and 1500. The most ancient legend has it that Saint Anthony of Padua, who was from Portugal and had lived for several years in Africa, was fond of asparagus and spread knowledge of the vegetable to the area of Bassano, where he had gone in 1220 to mitigate the bloodthirsty tendencies of the Lord of the Western Venetian region, Ezzelino da Romano. The asparagus is also tied to Saint Anthony because the season of harvest normally ends on June, 13th, on the annual recurrence of the saint’s feast, who in fact died in Padua on June, 13th 1231, at the early age of 36.
Another legend goes back to 1500, to the time of the first written testimony on the production of asparagus in the area of Bassano. The story goes that an extremely violent hailstorm destroyed most of the harvest. The farmers, who had been reduced to misery, ploughed the land under in search of roots and tubers to satisfy their hunger and discovered, instead, a delicacy: the tasty, pleasant and delicate white asparagus.
According to history, the list of foodstuffs fit for the rich banquets of nobles of the Republic of Venice between 1500 and 1600 included the asparagus of Bassano, which was one of the most sought after and highly appraised foods. A document dated 1534 states that a certain messer Hettor Loredan purchased 130 bunches of Bassano asparagus for “three liras and 10 pence”. It has also been documented that during the Council of Trent (1545-1563) the father councillors loved to eat great quantities of “sparasi” produced in Bassano and that they appreciated the diuretic virtues of the vegetable, among its other traits. The most ancient recipe is also the simplest one and was already quite popular at the time: “asparagus and eggs” with olive oil and pepper.

Characteristics of the product
The asparagus is an extremely ancient vegetable, to the point that prehistorical vegetables resembled it. In the area of Bassano, the asparagus found an ideal position in the sandy, soft, well drained and slightly calcareous terrain around the Brenta River. This is a basic element that explains the quality of the white Bassano asparagus, which found a second favourable element in the particularly mild climate of the area. The quality of today’s product is recognised the world over. Its intrinsic characteristics are its colour, its tenderness and the perfume, conferred by an equilibrium in the sweet-sour components derived from the composition of the terrain, a peculiarity that makes it particularly well suited for a variety of culinary uses in combination with rice dishes, soups, pasta and salads. The delicacy and fragrance of Bassanese turions enable consumers to savour the entire length. Precisely because of its quality and delicacy, the Bassano asparagus is extremely perishable and it is therefore correctly conserved and consumed within a few days of the harvest. In order to maintain these highly appraised characteristics, several practices must be observed, such as immerging the vegetable in water with a temperature between 6 and 8 degrees centigrade, to slow down the process of oxidation. It is also a good idea to avoid prolonged exposure to the light and open air.


Where it is produced
The area of production of the Bassano white asparagus is limited and identifiable, is homogeneous in terms of the characteristics of the terrain and lies within the city limits of eight municipalities: Bassano del Grappa, Cartigliano, Cassola, Mussolente, Pove del Grappa, Romano d’Ezzelino, Rosà and Rossano Vicentino.


Who Produces the Bassano White Asparagus
The producers of the white Bassano asparagus belong to the Association for the protection and valorisation of the Bassano white asparagus, which was founded in 1998. The purpose of the Association, according to the articles of the association, is to defend, regulate and protect the production and commerce of the Bassano white asparagus in Italy and abroad, through the correct use of the P.D.O. or Protected Designation of Origin trademark, which is now in the process of being conferred.

Market Features
The Bassano white asparagus - a typical variety - will soon be able to
apply the Denomination of Protected Origin trademark, which is a guarantee of high quality for the consumer that is recognised through out Europe.
The period of production goes from mid-March to mid-June. The maximum yield permissible is 80 quintals per hectare, but producers, who comply with particularly rigorous rules of quality and self-discipline, have lowered the yield to less than 40 quintals per hectare. This allows them to obtain white asparagus with an extremely low fibrous content. The total average production per year may thus reach a maximum of 1,000 quintals, a quantity that is not suitable for mass consumption and is insufficient to satisfy the high demand. This is another reason to consider the Bassano white asparagus a precious vegetable. The product is marketed tied in bunches of 1 to 1.5 kilograms. The bunches are tied manually with vegetable fibre, normally with willow string. There is a band around the product indicating the name and surname of the producer and the locality where it was produced. Consumers can identify the product immediately when it is packaged in this manner, so it fully responds to the requirements for traceability on today’s market.



TECHNICAL CARD
- Botanical name: Asparagus officinalis L.: This name was given to the plant by Carlo Linneo (1707-1778). The word officinalis indicates that the plant has medication and therapeutical properties.

- Family: the asparagus belongs to the family of Asparagacee, which various authors consider a sub-family of the Liliacee.

- Cycle of cultivation: the white asparagus is a multi-yearly plant, which lives and produces for many years (8-15 years).

- Edible portion: sprouts (turions).

- Rhizome and roots: the rhizome is a fibrous horizontal underground stalk, with sprouts in the centre and large cylindrical roots, which are fleshy and smooth, light yellow in colour and have short roots. Together with the rhizome and the sprout, it forms the leg.

- The turion: botanically speaking, the turion is the actual stalk of the plant, which develops scales or leaves. But when it is gathered before it emerges from the ground, it is an excellent edible delicacy. With various systems of cultivation, rose, violet or green coloured asparagus may be obtained.

- Flowers, fruit and seeds: if they are not gathered, the turions become green ramified stalks with leaves like small scales and small threadlike branches. Near the nodes of these ramifications, small, single bell-shaped flowers form, which are greenish yellow in colour. The fruit is a green berry when it is young, which later becomes scarlet. It is about the size of a pea and contains 5 or 6 black seeds.



HOW TO CONSERVE THEM
Asparagus are a particularly delicate and highly perishable product. It is advisable to consume them within 2-3 days of harvest. To conserve them correctly, immerge them completely in abundant water and change the water two/three times per day to keep them appropriately cool and fresh.



TRADE FAIRS AND EVENTS
Bassano White Asparagus
Bassano del Grappa (April):
Mostra dell’asparago bianco di Bassano del Grappa
(Bassano del Grappa White Asparagus Show)
Ph. +39 0424 521345

Rosà (end of April/beginning of May):
Festa dell’Asparago e del Fiore
(The Asparagus and Flower Feast)
Ph. +39 0424 585866



USEFUL ADDRESSES
Associazione per la valorizzazione
e tutela dell’asparago bianco di bassano
(Association for the valorisation and protection
of the Bassano white asparagus)
Offices: Via Matteotti, 39
36061 Bassano del Grappa (Vicenza)
Ph. +39 0424 566824 / +39 0424 521345
Fax. +39 0424 521214

Consorzio dell’Asparago di Bassano
(Bassano Asparagus Consortium)
Offices: Via Marconi, 14/B
36022 San Zeno di Cassola (Vicenza)
Ph. and Fax. +39 0424 571355
E-mail: info@asparagodibassano.com
Website: www.asparagodibassano.com



Recipes

“Mimosa” thin noodles (“tagliolini”) with asparagus

4 servings

240 g. of tagliolini pasta ,
200 g. of white asparagus tops,
a bit of butter
1 hard-boiled egg,
salt and black pepper.

Boil the asparagus (previously washed and cleaned) into a pot full of salted water. Do not overcook. Drain and dry them. Cut their ends into many thin pieces except the tops.
Melt butter in a pan, add the chopped asparagus and their tops.
Add salt and pepper.
Cook the noodles and let them underdone. Dress them into a terrine with the asparagus sauce and spread the hard boiled egg yolk previously sifted. Serve.



Small calamari and asparagus

4 servings

20 asparagus,
300 g. cleaned small calamari,
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil,
the juice of one lemon,
10 fresh mint leaves,
salt.

Cut in stripes the mint leaves previously washed and dryed. Macerate them with oil with a bit of salt. Wash asparagus, remove their stem and cook. Boil the small calamari in the same way (those used for this recipe must be very small so they don’t need more than a minute of cooking, but if you use bigger calamari you should cut them into very thin slices)
Mix the aromatized oil with lemon juice, salt slightly and dress with this mixture both asparagus and calamari. You can serve this dish hot or warm.



Eggs and asparagus, the Bassano way

4 servings

1 kg of white Bassano
asparagus,
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 eggs,
vinegar,
salt, pepper.

Wash and peel carefully the asparagus, cutting off their tough ends. Divide them into four bounches and bind with kitchen string.
Put them into a deep, straight-sided pot full of boiling salted water. The tops must stand over the water so they can steam. Let them boil for about 12 minutes
afterwards wrap them in a dishcloth.
Cook the eggs for 8 minutes, remove from heat cool them under cold water and shell.
Once served, every person should mash up the eggs with the fork until obtaining a cream to be seasoned at will with oil, salt, pepper and a bit of vinegar.


Asparagus casserole

A. Fry two garlic cloves with a little oil and add 400 g. of cleaned asparagus tops; put some salt and let it cook for a few minutes. Add water (one cup), a scarce tablespoon of sun dried tomato paste, 3 tablespoons of dry white wine, and some minced parsley.
Let cook for 25 - 30 minutes. When it’s ready pour a bit of some oil and serve.

B. Fry two garlic cloves with a little olive oil, salt and minced parsley, add 500 g. of cleaned asparagus and only a little
water. Let it cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
Both of the above recipes could be used to dress pasta, to
prepare a risotto or to make an omelette.