Wild asparagus season in Istria

In spring, you will see people along Istrian roadsides with a carrier bag, bent over the hedges. They are not lost. They are picking wild asparagus, šparoge, one of the first and best-loved tastes of the Istrian year.

What it is

Wild asparagus grows on a tough, prickly shrub common in the scrub, woodland edges and dry-stone walls of the Mediterranean. In spring the plant sends up thin, dark green shoots, much slimmer than garden asparagus. Only the top part is tender; it snaps off cleanly where the stem turns woody.

When to find it

The season runs from about March to early May, peaking in April. A few warm days after rain bring a new flush of shoots. Picking is a family outing for many locals, and some villages celebrate the season with asparagus festivals in spring.

How Istrians eat it

Fritaja with asparagus

The classic. Every family has its own version, but the basic idea is simple:

1. Snap the tender tops into short pieces.
2. Warm olive oil in a wide pan and soften the asparagus for a few minutes, sometimes with a little garlic or chopped pancetta.
3. Beat eggs with salt and pepper, pour them over and stir gently until just set and still soft.
4. Serve straight from the pan with bread and a glass of Malvazija.

Allow roughly a handful of asparagus for every two or three eggs.

On restaurant menus

For a few weeks each spring, restaurants and konobas add asparagus to the menu: fritaja, pasta with asparagus (often fuži or pljukanci), asparagus risotto, and asparagus with prawns or scampi on the coast. Read about 12 Istrian dishes.

Picking it yourself

If you want to try:

• Go after rain, with gloves; the plant is prickly.
• Look in sunny scrub and along hedges and old stone walls.
• Pick only the tender top part, and leave thin, short shoots to grow.
• Respect private land. Fields, olive groves and gardens belong to someone; stick to public paths or ask first.
• Don’t confuse it with other plants. If in doubt, buy it instead: bunches are sold at markets and by the roadside in season.

Spring in Istria

Asparagus season coincides with one of the nicest times to visit. The countryside is green and full of flowers, it is warm enough to eat outside at midday, and roads and towns are quiet. It is ideal for walking and cycling, and for exploring inland Istria.

Outside summer our villas take arrivals on any day with a minimum stay of six nights. All three have full kitchens and outdoor grills, so a bag of asparagus from the market turns into dinner on the terrace. In spring, Villa Bina and Villa Cvita Domenica in Labinci are surrounded by the kind of countryside where asparagus grows.