Springtime in Germany brings a cacophony of blooming flowers and a joyous Easter celebration after a deep winter. It also brings the season of a vegetable that Germans have eagerly waited all year for: white asparagus.
Spargel Festivals
White asparagus, called Spargel in German, is so prized in Germany that it is sometimes referred to as Königliches Gemüse, or the royal vegetable. It is not unusual for a German to have Spargel three or four times a week during Spargel season. In fact, cities large and small, including Bonn and other locations, have Spargel festivals celebrating the beloved morsel.
The Difference Between White and Green Asparagus
Spargel is the same variety as the more familiar green asparagus. However, in central and southern Europe it is grown under the earth in long mounds that make the fields look like giant sheets of corrugated cardboard. Sand and compost, is troweled over the young shoots, preventing them from receiving any sunshine. The resulting lack of chlorophyll is the reason the spears are white and the taste is mild.
Growing Season of Asparagus
Spargel, a perennial plant, is ready for harvest at the end of May. The season is over on Johannistag, the Catholic Feast of St. John, or 24 June. During that time, Spargel is in every outdoor market and supermarket and on every restaurant menu.
White Asparagus Recipes
Restaurants and pubs usually offer a special “Spargel Menu” during this time. Preparers use special Spargel peelers that consist of a pair of blades. The Spargel spear is held in one hand and the peeler is pulled down the shaft to remove the tough outer fibers. It is quite a sight to see a skilled Spargel peeler at work.
Traditional recipes are offered, including steamed Spargel with Hollandaise sauce and cold cooked Spargel in a vinaigrette. It can be a main course or a side dish. As a main course it is most often served with parsleyed new potatoes. However, there are as many new and different recipes for Spargel as there are traditional ones. A chilled German white wine such as Müller-Thurgau or a Riesling best compliments a white asparagus dish.
Harvesting White Asparagus in Europe
The most expensive stalks are thin ones that have just been picked that very day. Less costly are the larger, tougher, older spears, but they, too, can be prepared into delectable dishes. Spargel is consumed as fast as it can be harvested.
Workers come from other countries to harvest the Spargel. It is hand-picked stalk by stalk and washed in facilities located on the farms where it grows.
The Popularity of Spargel
It is possible that the reason Germans are so wild about Spargel is that it is the first fresh vegetable available in the spring. It could be that Spargel’s mild, subtle flavor is just that good. Or maybe there is an entrenched tradition surrounding the luscious white stems. Likely, though, it is all of the above. Anyone who has tried it would probably agree.
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Karren Tolliver - Karren Doll Tolliver is from the Midwest USA and received a BA in English from Mississippi University for Women in 1984. Writing since she ...
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