In certain parts of Spain the search for green asparagus is regarded almost as a sport, requiring sharp observation and a somewhat reckless spirit, as finding it is no easy task. But in Granada the wild plant has become sucessfully acclimatized and grows on a huge scale on the plains. This nutritious and very beautiful vegetable appeared in the sepulchral paintings of ancient Egypt, while the Greeks valued its diuretic and pain-killing qualities. It has featured in Spanish recipes throughout the ages. The fourteenth-century Catalan book Libre de Sent Sovi includes a recipe which is definitely a predecessor of the current version of esparragos esparragados. Libro del Arte de Cocina (1599) by Diego Granado and Nuevo Arte de Cocina (1745) by Juan de Altamiras both mention wild asparagus and suggest different ways of preparing it.
