Well, I may as well save you now, because this week, I'm just going to talk about a vegetable. That's right. One. Single. Vegetable.
The seasonal pride and joy of Germany – white asparagus – seems, at first sight, to be a bit of an abomination to those who’ve never heard of it. Following one look, at least two emotions rise – confusion and pity. First, confusion because it’s hard to understand why a perfectly good green vegetable would be purposely denied sunlight. See, instead of letting the asparagus grow above ground, thus allowing photosynthesis to take place, the veggie grows buried under dirt and never gets to see the light of day until it's time to be harvested. That's where the second emotion comes in.
Don't get me wrong - it's certainly a wonderful icebreaker. People either love asparagus or they don't, and when you throw the question "Green or White" in the mix, things get interesting. For many years, a number of Germans had never even heard of green asparagus! In fairness, I suppose they could turn the same sentence around and say that a vast number of people outside of Germany have never even heard of white asparagus. Finally, after a number of years, green asparagus is gaining in popularity throughout the country and there are tons of great recipes to incorporate both versions in one dish. Tolerance at its best.
It's really up to you to decide which type you like the most. I still prefer the green for a number of reasons, primarily due to taste, texture, convenience and appearance. For example, you actually have to peel white asparagus before you boil it. The outer husk is completely inedible, and it can be an arduous process getting rid of it. I enjoy roasting or sautéing green asparagus in olive oil with salt and pepper after washing the veggie and clipping the ends. Typically, white asparagus is either served with butter or hollandaise sauce.
By now, you should know that I love to learn about the health benefits and properties of foods and beverages. Some cool things to know about asparagus are that it's an excellent source of folic acid, a good source of vitamin C and vitamin B6. It's also high in antioxidants and has treasured anti-inflammatory properties. And if that's not enough to get you on board, historically, it's been viewed as being an aphrodisiac for centuries. All the more reason to love it and have a wonderful time buying it at the market the same day it's been harvested early in the morning!
Guten Appetit and have a great week.
xoxo CountryEuroCityMouse
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