Asparagus plays an important role at our Italian restaurant in Bothell. You can find it speck-wrapped in our asparagi, alongside our pan-roasted halibut, or in our quinoa and asparagi insalate. This curious, flavorful vegetable has been a big part of Italian cuisine for many years.
Asparagus was first grown as a source of food in ancient Greece approximately 2,500 years ago. The Greeks believed that the shoots of this plant possessed medicinal properties to cure bee stings, toothaches, and more. When the Romans arrived on the scene, they quickly embraced the vegetable, and began to cultivate it in high-walled courtyards inside their urban areas. The plant then travelled throughout many other countries along with the Roman conquests, and has retained its popularity to the modern day.