of the immature stem.
Asparagus has long been notorious for an
unusual side effect on those who eat it: it
gives a strong odor to their urine. Apparently
the body metabolizes a sulfur-containing
substance, asparagusic acid, a close chemical
relative of the essence of skunk spray called
methanethiol. In part because some people
claim to be immune to this effect, biochemists
have studied this phenomenon in some detail.
It now appears that thanks to genetic
differences, most but not all people do
produce methanethiol after eating asparagus,
and most but not all are able to smell it.
The Carrot Family:
Celery and Fennel
The carrot family has provided two aromatic
stalk vegetables.
Celery Celery, Apium graveolens, is the mild,