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A clear indication of spring is the expectation of seeing fresh, crisp spears of green asparagus at your neighbourhood market or grocery store. But hold on! What is that clump of white, chubby-looking material? That is white asparagus, the pale relative of green asparagus and a popular European delicacy.
Although it's less widespread than it is in Europe, niche grocery stores are starting to carry it more frequently. The only difference between white and green asparagus is how they are grown. Asparagus changes colour in the sun in a similar way to how your skin does. When new spears emerge from the earth and extend upward toward the sun's rays, they produce chlorophyll, which, thanks to the wonders of photosynthesis, turns the spears green.
White asparagus, on the other hand, is always grown totally underground or under plastic wrap. Due to the inhibition of photosynthesis, the spears remain milky white. More earth is piled around them as they grow to keep them covered until harvest. Between April and June, white asparagus festivals are held in Germany. White asparagus is precisely like green asparagus, except without the chlorophyll, if you've never tasted it.
Culinary Applications Of White Asparagus
• White asparagus's fibrous ends should be peeled off before the stalks are tossed with olive oil and any additional seasonings. The asparagus should be placed on a baking sheet in a single layer and roasted for 30 minutes at 375°F to make them tender.
• Asparagus can be breaded and deep-fried, but you must first cook the stalks because the fryer time alone won't properly cook the fried asparagus.
• White asparagus that has been peeled should be placed in a steaming basket before being carefully lowered into a kettle of boiling water to create steamed asparagus. If you wish to flavour the asparagus while it cooks, add a little lemon juice to the water; otherwise, boil the asparagus until the spears are soft.
• To ensure that the white asparagus stalks complete cooking on the grill without burning, steam them beforehand. The stalks should be coated in olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper before being grilled.
