Japanese asparagus spiralled in streaky bacon and grilled until the fat renders and crisps: a single spear, a single rasher, absolute simplicity; Hokkaido's most beloved izakaya snack, the fat of the buta bara and the sweetness of the asparagus arriving together in one bite
Origin: Hokkaido, Japan
From the journey of Asparagus.
Asparagus arrived in Japan in the Meiji era as a Western vegetable, initially grown ornamentally and for export. Its transformation into a beloved Japanese ingredient happened in Hokkaido: the northern island where the cool maritime climate proved ideally suited to asparagus cultivation, and where the combination of Japanese culinary technique with Western ingredients found some of its most successful expressions. By the 1960s and 1970s, Furano and the agricultural plains of central Hokkaido had become Japan's premier asparagus-producing region, and asparagus was established on the izakaya menu as aspara bacon (アスパラベーコン). The simplicity of the concept belies its perfection: one spear of thick green asparagus wrapped in one rasher of thin streaky bacon in a tight, even spiral, then cooked on a hot grill or in a pan until the bacon fat renders completely and crisps into a savoury, lacy sheath around the just-cooked asparagus within. The fat of the buta bara (pork belly bacon) bastes the asparagus from outside as it cooks; the asparagus steams inside the bacon jacket. The result is simultaneously crisp and tender, salty and sweet, fatty and green. Aspara bacon is one of the most beloved and widely eaten preparations of asparagus in the world: found at every yakitori-ya, izakaya, and home barbecue across Japan, and immediately imitated across East Asia wherever the combination of fatty pork and vegetables is appreciated.
Japanese buta bara bacon strips (sold at Japanese grocery stores) are thinner and leaner than most Western streaky bacon, which produces a crisper, less greasy result. If using Western bacon, look for the thinnest-cut streaky bacon available and stretch each rasher slightly before wrapping to thin it further. Aspara bacon can be made on a tabletop grill or hibachi at the table for an authentic izakaya experience. The same technique works with broccolini, green beans, or sliced sweet potato.
Mapping Culinary History
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