Come to the hotels at the Tatra mountains and let your taste buds get spoiled. Try the best culinary specialties invented and prepared by the chef of the year 2007 Igor Čehy. Every month another topic with an extra speciality offer.

Asparagus – Asparagus officinalis L.

• contains up to 93% of water – diuretic effect
• 100 grams of asparagus contain 0,2 grams of fat, 4,1 gram of saccharids, 2,1 grams of proteins, 0,8 grams of fibre
• A, C, E vitamins ( free radical catchers)
• Riboflavin, Niacin, Pyridoxine (support the function of the nervous system)
• Folic acid (influences the metabolism); K, Ca, Mg, P, S minerals
• recommended for use in the teratment of obesity, sugar illness, chronic excema, skin diseases, distortions of the metabolism and in the cancer prevention

COOKING ADVICE FOR ASPARAGUS
• when buying asparagus look firm, bright spears with closed tips, old asparagus looks withered and grey
• wash and clean the asparagus and remove any woody parts, tough bottoms
• cook the asparagus in salty water with a little sugar – for 15 min (green), 20 min (white); there are even special pots which are tall and narrow, a wire basket holds the asparagus upright a sit steams, so the tougher ends boil directly in the water while the more tender tops steam
• do not pour away the water in which asparagus has been cooked – drink it if you would like to purify your body, or make a soup of it
• gourmet principle – never use a knife when eating asparagus, use a fork

ASPARAGUS VARIETIES
• white asparagus is the most difficult for growing, it has been covered with soil to blanch out the colour, very good for soups, sauces and gratinee
• green asparagus grows in patches and is usually irradiated by a special light to enable the chlorophyll formation, it contains more vitamins and is used for a short cooking
• light purple asparagus grows from under the ground and has been exposed to the sun for a longer time