Native to Asia, asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) was already known as a wild plant by the time of the Egyptians, who spread its cultivation throughout the Mediterranean basin. The first literary document relating to this vegetable (the “History of Plants” by the Greek Theophrastus) dates back to about 300 BC, but only Cato, a century later, would discuss asparagus from an agronomic perspective, describing its cultivation techniques. Pliny, in addition to extolling its gastronomic qualities, would also illustrate its cultivation method in his Naturalis Historia.
