Cold-Tossed Asparagus with Sesame Seeds

This dish of cool, crunchy, and lightly dressed asparagus nuggets is truly from the opposite side of the world as that which serves its asparagus long, limp, and clothed in butter or cream. It is a wonderfully easy way of cooking asparagus, with none of the fuss or calories we’re used to in Western dining.

• Choose pencil-thin asparagus with firm, tight-closed tips and an overall smooth, full-fleshed, healthy look. Overly thin or very thick asparagus will not be