Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
Leondinger Grünspargel
Record Number: 123
Disclosure Date
Asparagus was already cultivated in the region Leonding before the First World War.
Photo: BMLFUW/A...
Leondinger Grünspargel
(Leonding Green Asparagus)
Abstract or claim
Traditional cultivation of green asparagus in the region Leonding, Upper Austria.
Green asparagus grows above the surface under sunny conditions. It has an unmistakable character and an extraordinary aroma that when eaten raw is reminiscent of the taste of sugar snap peas. Green asparagus is especially tender and never stringy.
Name of product, Product class
Asparagus, vegetable
Name of region
Leonding, Upper Austria, Austria
Field of search
Food and agriculture
Name of information provider
Karl Ferdinand Velechovsky, Jr
Name of applicant for title
---
Holder of knowledge or associated resources
4 asparagus farmers in the region Leonding
Grantee(s), holder(s), assignee(s) or owner(s) of title, if any
---
Descriptors
- History:
Asparagus in general:
In the ancient world, asparagus was a popular vegetable and medicinal plant for the Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. The Egyptians even gave it to their dead as a burial gift on their last journey.
In Greece and Rome, there are reports from the second century BC on the use of asparagus for food and as a medicinal plant.
The philosophers Plato and Aristophanes as well as the Roman Cato praised asparagus as “sweet talk for the palate”.
At that time, only wild asparagus was known – green and very thin.
In the middle of the 16th century, asparagus took hold as a treat for nobles. It is presumably thanks to the Sun King Louis XIV that asparagus was able to experience its renaissance in the modern era.
The poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was also a great gourmet of the stalk vegetable.
Starting in the 17th century, asparagus became affordable for the bourgeoisie. It was offered at markets and was a prized vegetable above all in monasteries and at royal courts.
Due to the lack of means of transport and refrigeration, asparagus could not be transported over great distances at that time.
During the First and Second World Wars, production almost completely stopped. Though asparagus is rich in vitamins and minerals, it has little nutritional value and thus does not make one full.
Asparagus production in Austria:
Asparagus was reported in Austria for the first time in 1530. The main areas of cultivation lay in Bohemia and Moravia (Friedrich Hampel, former court chef, “Vegetable Dishes, Side Dishes, Garnishes” Vienna, ca 1925).
Priority was given to the production of green asparagus until the end of the 18th century.
Starting in Germany, different methods for keeping asparagus white caught on over the course of the 19th century. The sprouting asparagus shoots were covered with wood, dark glass or clay, or soil was piled up around the shoots.
Around the middle of the 19th century, the cultivation of asparagus started to become more important in Austrian agriculture, not least because of the development of different methods of cultivation. The vegetable was also more and more in demand in bourgeois circles.
At the end of the Second World War, asparagus became less important. The areas of cultivation had been greatly reduced and the farmers had to face the problem that consumers were no longer familiar with the vegetable: either it was unaffordable or it couldn’t be used correctly. Marketing it directly on the farm was meaningless due to the restricted mobility of the public.
Cultivation of asparagus in Leonding:
In the municipality Leonding, the first asparagus (at that time white asparagus) was cultivated at the turn of the century (19th /20th ) on a small scale in vegetable gardens.
During the First World War, asparagus disappeared and has only been cultivated again in the region since 1987, though exclusively in its original form as green asparagus.
- Region:
The municipality Leonding lies at 289 m altitude in the district Linz-Land in the Traunviertel in the Zentralraum area of Upper Austria.
Leonding is divided into the villages Aichberg, Alharting, Berg, Bergham, Buchberg, Doppl, Enzenwinkl, Felling, Friesenegg, Gaumberg, Haag, Hart, Holzheim, Imberg, Jetzing, Leonding, Reith, Rufling, St. Isidor, Staudach, Untergaumberg, and Zaubertal.
The Leondinger Grünspargel Region of Delightincludes the villages Gaumberg, Rufling, and St. Isidor.
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
Climate:
The region Leonding has a central European transition climate characterised by cool, humid summers and mild winters with much snowfall and sufficient yearly participation (832 mm/year).
The average yearly temperature is 8.8 °C. The average temperature is 18.7 °C in summer and -1.6 °C in winter.
Soil conditions:
The area is made up of hilly countryside and terraced fields. Tertiary sediments form the subsoil: clay, sand, clay marl; they are arranged to a great extent into terrace steps and covered with gravel, loess and powdery clay.
- Asparagus:
Asparagus stalks are the shoots of the asparagus plant (Asparagus officinalis L.) that belong to the Asparagaceae family.
The word asparagus is supposedly derived from the Greek “asparagos” and can be translated as “young shoot”.
Asparagus is subdivided into four groups according to colour: white, violet, violet-green, green.
Growth:
Though cultivation of asparagus yields no vegetables in the first two years, work is intensive since weeds or pest infestation and diseases must be prevented.
Plants grow and sprout, and the foliage is cut back at the end of November. Over the course of the summer, the asparagus plant produces buds from which the first asparagus stalks will develop in the following year.
It is only in the third year that farmers can harvest asparagus.
- Leondinger Grünspargel (Leonding Green Asparagus):
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
Varieties:
Green asparagus of different varieties such as Grolim, Eros and Gijnlim are cultivated in the region.
The young asparagus plants are bought from EU countries such as Italy, Spain and Germany.
Method of production:
Green asparagus is distinguished from other varieties in that it grows above ground. Less work is required than with white asparagus.
Leondinger Grünspargel is cultivated according to the guidelines of the Austrian Agri-Environmental Programme (ÖPUL).
Several farms operate according to the guidelines of integrated production (IP).
Cultivation:
Before an asparagus field is laid, the soil must be tilled deeply with a plough.
Following this, the asparagus is planted from March to April.
At the time of planting, furrows at a distance of 1-1.8 m must be dug in the prepared field. Compost is added to the tilled soil and to fill up the furrows.
The plants are placed in the ground and pushed in 15 cm deep mainly by machines but in rare cases by hand. Following this, the furrows are filled back up with soil so that the roots are below ground level.
Green asparagus can be cultivated in one field for around ten years, after which it should be followed in crop rotation by cereals, for example maize.
Fertilising:
Before and after asparagus season, the plants are fertilised with commercial fertiliser or farmyard manure.
The Austrian Agri-Environmental Programme (ÖPUL) requirements for fertilising must be met. The amount of fertiliser must be documented in the field records.
Plant care:
Before sprouting begins in early spring, the top layer of the soil is tilled with machines. This is done very carefully so that the first asparagus shoots are not damaged. Weeds must be removed regularly, otherwise the harvest becomes difficult or nearly impossible due to thistles, bindweed or couch grass.
Starting at the beginning of April, a light fabric is laid over the asparagus fields to protect against late frosts and birds.
Irrigation:
Leondinger Grünspargel (Leonding Green Asparagus) does not need to be irrigated.
Harvesting:
In spring, green asparagus sprouts somewhat earlier than white asparagus. Depending on the weather, it can be harvested from mid- to late April until mid- to late June.
Green asparagus is carefully harvested when it has reached a height of 20 to 25 cm. The asparagus stalks are cut with a sharp knife directly above the ground.
The harvest only continues until 24 June (“Johanni”) so that the plants can gain strength for the following year.
The time of the asparagus harvest is heavily dependent on the weather.
Yield is significantly influenced by weather conditions and can fluctuate greatly.
When the weather is warm, a greater amount can be harvested; when the weather is cold, the harvest is smaller.
Processing:
After being harvested, the asparagus is washed in cold water and cooled at 2 °C for a short period of time in refrigerated rooms directly on the farms (this stops the oxidation of valuable ingredients). Afterwards, it is immediately offered for sale or processed into various specialities with chocolate or pasta.
Before being sold, the asparagus is cut into pieces of equal length.
Packaging:
Asparagus is not packaged when marketed directly. When sold in shops, Leondinger Grünspargel (Leonding Green Asparagus) is put in a packing sleeve or a carton.
Taste and appearance:
Along with the cultivation method, green and white asparagus also differ in taste. White asparagus is distinguished by a particularly tender and mild flavour. Green asparagus, on the other hand, tastes hearty, strong and aromatic and when eaten raw is reminiscent of the flavour of sugar snap peas.
Leondinger Grünspargel is 24 cm long and around 0.5 - 2 cm or more in diameter.
Proof of origin:
The Leondinger Grünspargel available for sale can be clearly traced throughout the whole grocery chain by the packing sleeve that includes the producer’s name, address and telephone number.
Quality control:
The farmers themselves conduct ongoing internal quality controls, assessing the asparagus according to the following criteria: appearance, taste, crispiness when broken, aroma, consistency of the head, squeakiness test and possible pest infestation.
The external qualities are regulated by the uniform EU standards, which divide asparagus into three different grades.
Green: Solo Plus = + 25 mm, Solo = 20 – 25 mm, Classic = 15 – 20 mm
A regional speciality is “baby asparagus”.
Asparagus is sorted according to grade as well as diameter, colour and quality.
Nutrition:
Asparagus is extremely low in calories (17 kcal/100g), contains protein, fibre, various vitamins and minerals. It obtains its typical flavour from essential oils, aspartic acid, vanillin and other active substances.
One serving (500g) supplies 100 % of the daily requirement for Vitamin C and folic acid, 90 % for Vitamin E, 50 % for Vitamin B1 and 45 % for Vitamin B2.
Asparagus has a cleansing and diuretic effect.
Because it contains very few nutrients and much fibre, asparagus is excellent for weight reduction and sensitive stomachs.
Green asparagus is rich in vitamins and tastes more aromatic because of the amount of chlorophyll it contains.
- Marketing:
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
A small amount is sold in retail shops and groceries.
Connection between the geographical area and traditional knowledge:
- The soil and climate conditions are ideal for the
cultivation of asparagus in the region.
- Asparagus can be produced that has a special flavour.
- The production of Leondinger Grünspargel is the result of traditional
knowledge and the experiences of asparagus farmers (cultivation,
methods of production, harvesting, storage, marketing).
- Utilisation:
Not only fresh, green asparagus but also green asparagus schnapps, green asparagus noodles (“Spargliatelle” from semolina or spelt flour, eggs and green asparagus) and green asparagus chocolate (light chocolate with freeze-dried green asparagus) are produced.
- Protection:
-
Key Words
Food and agriculture, traditional knowledge, Austria, Upper Austria, region, Leonding, asparagus, green asparagus, Asparagus officinalis, Leondinger Grünspargel, Leondinger Green Asparagus
Bibliography / References
- Abwechslung durch Sortenvielfalt
http://www.unileverfoodsolutions.at/tipps/saison_tipps/tipps_spargel/spargel_sorten
- GRANT VERT – GRÜNSPARGEL
http://www.gruenspargel.at/
- Grüner Spargel
http://www.lebensmittellexikon.de/g0001630.php
- Grünspargel
http://www.gardora.at/wiki/Gr%C3%BCnspargel
- Klimadaten von Österreich 1971 - 2000
http://www.zamg.ac.at/fix/klima/oe71-00/klima2000/klimadaten_oesterreich_1971_frame1.htm
- Leonding
http://www.geomix.at/oesterreich/Ober%F6sterreich/Linz-Land/Leonding.html
- Leonding
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonding
- Leonding Wirtschaft aktuell: Gemüse mit Köpfchen, Ausgabe Nr. 3, Mai 2006
http://www.infoserv.at/agentur/lwz/imgs/pdf/LWZ_03Mai_06.pdf
- Leondinger Grünspargel
http://www.genuss-region.at/article/archive/24972
- Marchfeld Spargel
http://www.spargel.co.at
- Neue Genussregion in Linz Land – „Leondinger Grünspargel“
http://www.rm-austria.at/rmooe/news_detail.asp?inf_id=2165®seite=&style=text&ueberschrift=Aktuelles
- Wuchsgebiet 7.2: Nördliches Alpenvorland – Ostteil
http://bfw.ac.at/300/1198.html
- Spargelanbau in Österreich
http://www.puppinger-spargel.com/netautor/napro4/appl/na_professional/parse.php?mlay_id=2500&mdoc_id=1000046
All internet references last accessed on 12 November 2009.
Language Code
German
Product of www.genuss-region.at
Yes
Regional contact
Nußböckgut
Karl und Andrea Velechovsky
Gaumberg 6
4060 Leonding
Phone: 678566
Fax. 0732/678566-14
E-mail: velechovsky@aon.at
www.gruenspargel.at
Authors: Doris Reinthaler, Eva Sommer, Erhard Höbaus
06.12.2011, Lebensministerium III/4