14 Types Of Asparagus You Should Get To Know

It's easy to forget how good asparagus is. In a world of abundant food choices, this spear-shaped vegetable can often be pushed to the bottom of the pile and only enjoyed on special occasions. But there's a strong case to be made for getting asparagus into your weekly rotation. An ancient vegetable, asparagus was originally enjoyed way back in historical Egypt and Greece and has stood the test of time to show up in a range of modern recipes. And there's a wonderful versatility to the plant — for example, in fresh seasonal favorites like spring salad with asparagus served with risotto, pasta, or quiche.

Although green asparagus is by far the most recognizable, this vegetable comes in a range of colors, shapes, and sizes. And as different cultivars have sprung up, they've brought with them a diverse range of flavor profiles and culinary uses. 

But with so many types, where do you start? Let's dive into all the types of asparagus you should get to know.

While big doesn't automatically mean better, it never hurts to make your portions of vegetables a little larger. And there's no better way to do that than to get bigger vegetables in the first place. That's where the Jersey Giant comes in, a hybrid asparagus cultivar that produces spears of up to 12 inches. Jersey Giant was developed at Rutgers University and has achieved recognition for its sturdiness and ability to withstand crown rot and rust. What also makes Jersey Giant unique is that you don't need the perfect conditions for it to grow: It'll do well in most climates.

This plant's hardiness, however, also means that it takes a little longer to cook. Jersey Giant can be a bit tougher than other, more tender asparagus varieties, so it's best not used in situations where you may need your asparagus to be softer, like in salads. Instead, the Jersey Giant is a great variety to cook when you're going for roasted asparagus. Roasting it in the oven with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, will help it brown and soften up considerably. It's also a great choice when asparagus is the star of the dish, thanks to its bigger size.

While asparagus can be found in multiple countries' national cuisines, it's perhaps most associated with French cooking, and it has been grown and cooked in the European nation for several centuries. Out of all the asparagus varieties out there, Precoce D'Argenteuil might be the one most commonly used in France. A staple in French cuisine since the 19th century, this springtime vegetable performs better in cooler temperatures. When it's fully grown, it has a green-purple exterior, with tips that have an easy bite to them.

But when prepared traditionally, Precoce D'Argenteuil doesn't stay purple for long. This asparagus variety is best known for being served blanched until light or white. This makes the plant seriously tender and flavorful, as well as giving it an enviable aesthetic appeal. Precoce D'Argenteuil can be served in all manner of ways, but one of the best uses of it is to add it to a springtime risotto. Add the sliced asparagus toward the end of the cooking process, to avoid it breaking down too much and losing its bite.

In the modern world, we've become accustomed to being able to pick up any food we want from the store. But sometimes, to get the best flavors, you have to be a little more intrepid. That's why you should be on the hunt for wild asparagus. True to its name, wild asparagus is asparagus that grows outside of a farming setting. While it can often be found in coastal areas where the soil is saltier, you can find wild asparagus in proximity to virtually any water source. You'll find wild asparagus during the spring months before the weather gets too hot.

Wild asparagus looks similar to regular store-bought asparagus, although it can have less of a uniform look. It can sprout in either green or green-purple coloring. Interestingly, wild asparagus can have a stronger flavor than farm-grown asparagus and can be much sweeter. But like regular asparagus, it can be cooked in a range of ways and is especially good when roasted or grilled. It's also worth bearing in mind that while wild asparagus can be super-fun to find and take home, it can also be quite rare, so you should resist the urge to pull every spear you find out of the ground — leave some of it for other people to grab and enjoy.

Another asparagus that's name has its roots in classical mythology, Atlas is as strong as the figure it's named after. This hardy hybrid is resistant to Fusarium, also known as root rot, as well as standing up well against frost and drought. Atlas tends to grow a little larger than regular asparagus (hey, no complaints from us, that's more vegetable for your buck), and produces a good yield when grown correctly. It also has that textbook, dark green asparagus color, with purple flecks here and there.

The main reason that Atlas merits a place on this list, though, is its flavor. This variety has a particularly deep, earthy taste, with a nutty edge that sets it apart from other, milder varieties. Its pronounced flavor means that it's a superb choice when you want your vegetable to have a little more punch. Try using Atlas in an asparagus and fontina quiche, baked in a pie crust with cheese, eggs, and cream. The slightly grassy flavor to the Atlas will help to cut through and offset the richness of the dairy, balancing the flavors and providing an element of freshness to an otherwise heavy meal.

The Jersey asparagus family has a few different types, and true asparagus aficionados will want to try them all. Well, make sure you add Jersey Knight to your list. This hybrid variety flourishes in the spring, and when it grows, it really grows, producing an abundant crop of vegetables. Like many other hybrids, it's been developed to hold its own against diseases, which only makes it even more likely to continue producing asparagus year after year.

Jersey Knight has a standard green appearance for most of its length, tending to turn paler toward its base. While it can have some purple coloring on the outside of its shoots, this tends to be a little less pronounced than other varieties like Apollo or Atlas. It can also have light purple, almost brown tips. Its shoots are usually fairly uniform, making this an attractive plant. As for taste, the Jersey Knight doesn't hold back and has a strong asparagus flavor. To keep this powerful flavor, cook it via more gentle methods, like steaming or blanching. Other heating applications may reduce its taste somewhat.

Perhaps the most extravagantly named of the Jersey asparagus family, Jersey Supreme is a plant worthy of your attention. This asparagus type is a hybrid breed, specially cultivated to produce the best vegetable possible. And all of that cultivation paid off. The Jersey Supreme is notable for its uniform appearance and like other Jersey asparagus is excellent at fighting garden-bound invaders that could diminish its quality.

Jersey Supreme are generally mid-green in appearance, with purple, almost brown flecks running up the length of the plant. They're a strong variety and can have a good thickness to them, with a distinguished flavor that gives you all of that asparagus-y goodness. Nutrient-rich, Jersey Supreme is full of numerous minerals that your body needs regularly, including copper, calcium, potassium, and zinc. They've also got a good amount of fiber, essential for gut health. Just bear in mind that however you prepare your Jersey Supreme, be it roasting, blanching, or pickling, their bases are rather tough, so make sure you remove them before cooking and eating.

Sure, green asparagus is great and all, but it can get a little samey sometimes. So, if you want to jazz up the color of your meal, grab yourself some Pacific Purple. A purple asparagus (which you probably gathered from its name), Pacific Purple grows in a deep violet shade, with punchy green streaks throughout its body. They can grow up to 1.5 meters in height and can vary in thickness, with some slightly narrower and others growing plump and girthy.

While some asparagus can be guilty of becoming a little stringy and fibrous, Pacific Purple doesn't have the same tendencies. These spears remain tender, even when raw. Its purple color is provided by anthocyanins growing in the plant, which are potent antioxidants that give these vegetables an added health factor. Like the other purple varieties out there, Pacific Purple can be sweeter than its green counterparts.

Importantly, however, it won't keep its purple color forever. If you cook Pacific Purple too aggressively, it will lose all of its violet hues. For this reason, it's best to eat Pacific Purple raw or to steam them until just cooked. You don't want to go to all that trouble getting purple asparagus to then not enjoy its color, do you?