Asparagus was first grown more than 2,000 years ago in the Mediterranean area of southern Europe.
Although both ancient Greeks and Romans loved this vegetable for its delicious flavor, it was the Romans who first developed gardening techniques to grow asparagus. The Romans believed that asparagus could be used as medicine to prevent bee stings and relieve toothaches; however, today we know these claims are not true.
In the 1600s, King Louis the XIV of France had gardeners grow asparagus in greenhouses so he could enjoy asparagus year-round. Also during this time, early colonists from France and England brought asparagus to America and planted it in New England.
In 1852, farmers began planting asparagus in the northern delta of California, where the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers come together. Since then, California has been the biggest producer of this vegetable in the United States.
|
