Tender and delicate, white asparagus is a once-a-year delicacy that’s not to be missed. Here’s how to get yours, imported fresh from Holland for a limited time only.

If you’re an aficionado of asparagus, this is a particularly great time of year – because for a short time, you have a wider-than-usual choice!

WHAT IS WHITE ASPARAGUS?
White asparagus is very popular in Europe and western Asia. White asparagus is the result of applying a blanching technique while the asparagus shoots are growing. To cultivate white asparagus, the shoots are covered with soil as they grow, i.e. earthed up; without exposure to sunlight, no photosynthesis starts, and the shoots remain white. Compared to green asparagus, the locally cultivated so-called “white gold” or “edible ivory” asparagus, also referred to as “the royal vegetable,” is believed to be less bitter and much tenderer. Freshness is very important, and the lower ends of white asparagus must be peeled before cooking or raw consumption.

Only seasonally on the menu, asparagus dishes are advertised outside many restaurants in Europe, usually from late April to June. For the French style, asparagus is often boiled or steamed and served with Hollandaise sauce, melted butter or olive oil, Parmesan cheese, or mayonnaise. Tall, narrow asparagus cooking pots allow the shoots to be steamed gently, their tips staying out of the water.

According to Eating Well, in Germany, white asparagus (weißer spargel) is celebrated – quite literally – with festivals from April to June. If you’ve never had white asparagus, it is exactly like green asparagus but without chlorophyll (the green in plants that helps generate oxygen in the photosynthesis process). It has to do with the deliberate harvesting process. Germans like it because it’s sweeter and more tender than the green variety.

To learn more about white asparagus and why it’s such a beloved delicacy, click HERE for a great informative article from HuffPost.