Spargels

Evidently, I arrived in Germany during Spargelzeit; Spargel season. Germans say nothing marks the beginning of Spring like the appearance of the beloved white asparagus, known in Germany as Spargel. White Asparagus is harvested from mid-April to the end of June.

I was curious so I looked up what the difference between white and green asparagus is; apparently the difference between white and green asparagus is the way in which the plant is grown. The white asparagus is grown under a thick layer of mulch and covered in dark plastic, completely underground, or under dark containers so that no sunlight can reach the spears, therefore photosynthesis never takes place. Once the vegetable is harvested, the white asparagus must be peeled because the outside is very fibrous and woody. The white asparagus do not contain quite as many antioxidants as the green but it is still a healthy vegetable. 

The most common way to prepare them is to bundle 2-4 spears with kitchen string and place them in simmering water until the stalk is tender when pierced with a knife. Other ways of preparing the noble vegetable is pickling, wrapping the asparagus in cured meats, dicing and placing into salads, and used as a vegetable in dishes such as quiche and casseroles.

I had the pleasure of eating a plate of white asparagus with boiled potatoes covered in hollandaise sauce. The white asparagus was much milder than the green variety and I found it to be very delicious. I have actually had white asparagus three times since I have been in Germany. It is easy to order at a cafeteria because I recognize the word “spargel” and I know I will like it. I had it for the first time in the mensa (cafeteria) at Hochschule Bremen. I had it for the second and third times at the canteen (cafeteria) at Airbus. The two pictures are from Airbus.