Santena Asparagus
Definition
Belonging to the family Liliaceae, the asparagus is a perennial vegetable crop whose edible parts are the turions, shoots with a particular delicate taste developing from the underground rhizomes and assuming various colors: green, white, or violet.
Santena asparagus is characterized by turions with pointed and intense green tops, with violaceous shades, and an average length of 22 cm. The colored part includes about the 65% of the total length.
Harvesting from April to mid-June. As far as soils are concerned, loose, sandy, less calcareous, and very permeable soils are to prefer.
The particular features of the mainly sandy (60% of sand), less calcareous, and very permeable soils of the area of Santena give this asparagus particular organoleptic features.
In order to ensure the origin of the local product and enhance it, a "designation of origin" label has been registered at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
- Production Area: It includes Santena, Poirino, and Villastellone (TO), as well as the adjacent Municipalities.
- Legislative Protection: Santena asparagus is classified among the "Traditional Agri-foodstuffs of Regione Piemonte", according to art. 8 of the Legislative Decree 30th April 1998, n. 173 and the Annex to the Decisions of the Regional Council 15th April 2002 n. 46-5823.
Santena Asparagus
(photo by: Aree protette Po Torinese)
