Enjoy Seasonal Asparagus with a Less Bitter Taste

By Mayu Yamamoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

13:35 JST, June 1, 2025

Asparagus, rich in vitamins, carotene and dietary fiber, is now in season. Cookery specialist Kazuna Wada shares two recipes with The Yomiuri Shimbun that make asparagus tasty even for children, who often shy away from the vegetable because of its slightly bitter taste.

The key to getting children to enjoy vegetables is “serving them when they are in season and tasty,” Wada said.

Wada advises choosing asparagus stalks with closed tips and moist and unwilted stalk ends. She said the stalks can be kept fresh by trimming the ends and standing them upright in a glass or milk carton with some water when keeping them in the refrigerator. “Like with flowers, if you give them water, they’ll be crisp and delicious,” Wada said.

As she prepares to cook, Wada trims the firm ends off the stalks, then uses a peeler to remove the skin from the bottom third of each one.

Her recipe for asparagus rice pizza involves mixing in an egg, which helps to diminish the grassy smell peculiar to asparagus. Cheese and mayonnaise help further reduce the bitterness of the vegetable. Curry powder can also make a delicious addition to the dish.

“For adults, pepper sauce or coarsely ground pepper can also be added,” Wada said.

She also explained how to cook kakiage tempura with asparagus and pork loin ham.

The tenderness of the asparagus when you bite into it will surprise you, and the thin batter lets you really enjoy the sweetness of asparagus and new potato. The tempura feels like a snack food that you can just munch away on.

“If you reduce the hardness and the grassiness of asparagus, both children and adults can enjoy it. Make sure to try it during the season when domestically grown asparagus is available!” Wada said.

Asparagus rice pizza

Ingredients (serves 2 to 3):

• 2 cups warm rice (about 300 grams)
• 4-5 asparagus spears
• 1 egg
• 40 grams pizza cheese
• 30 grams shirasu whitebait
• Small amount of ground garlic



Directions:

1. Cut the asparagus spears diagonally into five to six pieces. Add the egg, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, ground garlic and a pinch of salt to the warm rice and mix well.

2. Heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Spread the rice evenly into a disc.

3. When the surface of the rice begins to brown, turn it over and cook the other side. Reduce heat to low, sprinkle with pizza cheese and top with the asparagus and shirasu whitebait. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 4–5 minutes until the asparagus is cooked through. For a more aromatic finish, increase the heat slightly at the end.

4. Put the pizza on a plate and top with mayonnaise to taste.

Asparagus and pork loin ham kakiage tempura

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 1 new potato
• 4-5 asparagus spears
• 2 slices pork loin ham
• lemon, as needed



Directions:

1. Cut the asparagus spears into diagonal slices 1 centimeter long. The tips, which are soft, can be cut into pieces longer than 1 centimeter.

2. Remove any sprouts from the potato, then cut the potato into thin strips. Do not remove the skin. Cut the ham slices in half and then into narrow strips.

3. Mix the asparagus spears, potato and ham with 3 tablespoons of soft wheat flour in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of water and mix well.

4. Pour salad oil into a frying pan to a depth of about 1.5 centimeters and heat to 170 C. Divide the mixture of asparagus and other ingredients into bite-sized portions and fry for 4–5 minutes, flipping to brown both sides. Since they burn easily in small amounts of oil, make sure to carefully control the heat.

5. Remove the tempura from the pan and drain off the excess oil. Arrange the kakiage tempura on a plate and garnish with lemon or ketchup to taste.