C 253/30
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
18.7.2023
Summers that are not overly wet and rainy are favourable to ‘Asparago verde di Canino’ PGI, which does not like sending roots down into moisture-laden soil and does not like to get its foliage wet, as this can cause fungal diseases.
Annual temperatures are fairly uniform, with average monthly values around 16 °C; the average minimum and maximum values are around 11 °C and 22 °C respectively, the coldest months being January and February when minimum temperatures rarely fall below freezing in absolute values; the hottest months are July and August, when maximum temperatures reach around 32 °C in absolute values.
Rainfall in the area is also extremely uniform and in recent years has been characterised by a cumulative annual average of just over 472 mm.
Rainfall is concentrated in the autumn-winter period, with the dry period in the summer months.
Special reference should also be made to the use of geothermal technology for production under cover.
The roots are heated by means of buried tubing through which hot water from groundwater springs runs.
In winter, the edible part is protected by means of poly-tunnels.
This maintains a warm microclimate, which is ideal for asparagus.
‘Asparago verde di Canino’ has a fairly recent but illustrious history.
Its commercial success and its link with the area date back to the early 1980s.
Initial expertise in the running of modern asparagus farms was developed at this time.
The first asparagus farm dates back to 1980 and had a total area of nine hectares under green asparagus.
This new farming method prompted the development of tools that were suited to the harvesting of green asparagus, with particular attention being paid to manual harvesting methods as it was immediately understood that this phase was important ‘not just for the quality of the shoots, but also for future production.
[...] To obtain tender shoots with tightly closed bracts, it was necessary to harvest frequently, on a daily basis throughout the peak production period and at least every other day at the beginning and end of the harvest’ (Saccardo F., Temperini O., Asparago: tecnica agronomica e scelta varietale [Asparagus: growing techniques and varietal choice], in (edited by) ARSIAL [Regional agency for agricultural development and innovation in Lazio], Esperienze sulla coltivazione dell’asparago nel Lazio [Experience of growing asparagus in Lazio], 2004, p. 17).
Subsequently, in a bid to lengthen the production season and make the product available on the market for longer, producers embarked on a successful experiment involving forced cultivation using hot water, thanks to the presence of thermal springs in the Paglieto plain.
The felicitous combination of soil and climate conditions that made for optimal growing conditions for asparagus has changed the face of farming in the municipality of Canino (see Innovazione e agricoltura [Innovation and agriculture], 2, No 2, 1999, pp. 36-39; L’Informatore agrario [The farming reporter], No 50, 2001, p. 45).
‘Asparago verde di Canino’ is prized for its texture, flavour and the fact that its entire spear is edible, which is why it is commonly called ‘mangiatutto’.
This is how it is described in the Frutta e ortaggi in Italia [Fruit and vegetables of Italy] guide published by the Touring Club Italiano, which ranks it amongst the best-loved varieties at national level (Cabrini L., Malerba F., Frutta e ortaggi in Italia, TCI, Milan 2005, p. 49).
It is again described as ‘mangiatutto’ in the book entitled ‘1001 specialità della cucina italiana da provare almeno una volta nella vita’ [1001 specialities of Italian cuisine to try at least once in your lifetime], where it is ranked as one of the outstanding products of the Lazio region (Machado A., Prete C., Newton Compton, 2015, pp. 297-299).
Indeed, this product is recognised as being one of the most important products in Tuscia, as attested to by the food sections of La Repubblica (repubblica.it/cronaca/2013/04/26/), Corriere della Sera (viaggi.corriere.it/weekend/), Libero, Quotidiano.net (.quotidiano.net/viaggiesapori/), il Tempo (tempo.it/i-consigli-di-fuoriporta/2017/04/21/) and food magazines such as Mondo Mangiare (mangiare.moondo.info).
In 2006 ‘Asparago verde di Canino’ featured in the project Leader Plus 2000/2006 – Gal degli Etruschi [Etruscan local action group] alongside products which ‘can be strongly identified’ with the region, and though it is not a product ‘with any form of public recognition (PDO, PGI, IGT, etc.), it is of considerable importance to certain municipalities in the area from a quantitative and qualitative point of view’.