SPRING ON A PLATE

ASPARAGUS DAYS IN DUBROVNIK RESTAURANTS

The beginning of April, the weekend of the 7th to the 9th, is reserved for gastro days in Dubrovnik restaurants dedicated to asparagus. This wild, edible plant that is harvested in early spring, is very nutritious and healthy, and at the same time delicate and aromatic. In gastronomy, asparagus is a favourite plant that goes well with different foods like eggs, meat, fish, rice, pancetta or pasta.

Dubrovnik restaurants will offer specialties such as shrimp and asparagus risotto, octopus salad with asparagus, Adriatic shrimp on a bed of rice and asparagus, sole with asparagus sauce, stuffed sweet potatoes with asparagus and eggs, cannelloni with asparagus, oysters in tempura on a bed of asparagus, and other specialties. Restaurants participating in this year’s Asparagus Days are: Domino, Eden, Gusta me, Klarisa, Kopun, Lajk, Mimoza, Orka, Orsan, Porat, and Rozario.

More about asparagus:

Wild edible plants such as nettle, dandelion, lamb's lettuce, asparagus, etc., are best in early spring. Wild asparagus is often found at Dubrovnik markets. This is a plant whose nutrients help the body to adapt and to detoxify and it one of the oldest medicinal plants. The homeland of asparagus is Southern Europe, where it often appears as a wild plant in coastal areas.

At the same time gentle and aromatic, asparagus is a popular plant in gastronomy that works well with various ingredients such as eggs, meat, fish, rice, pancetta or pasta.

As a food and medicine, asparagus was highly valued in ancient Egypt, and was known in China as early as 3000 BC. Asparagus is mostly water, over 90%, the remainder being protein, some carbohydrates, plant fibre, vitamins and minerals.