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White Asparagus

post #1 of 21
4/28/06 at 12:01am
Thread Starter 
Do you guys know if it's easy to find white asparagus here in US. I had it when i was in Spain, which was the first time I'd ever had it and it was wonderful. While in Spain, I bought a canned one and cooked it at the rented apartment, Loved it! I really want to cook some here in the states. So, what is the deal with white asparagus here in the US? Can we not serve it here?
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post #2 of 21
4/28/06 at 7:32am
It's expensive to grow, as it takes hand tending, pushing the soil up as it grows, denying it light.

This is why you will probably not find it here at retail, I think one of my vendors has it canned though. I have never asked my produce guys for it.
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post #3 of 21
4/28/06 at 7:44am
Thread Starter 
Where are you from? Then we can order through vendors, yes? And I can still serve it here in the US?
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post #4 of 21
4/28/06 at 1:33pm
I see it all the time at Whole Foods as well as the Italian Market in South Philly. Most decent produce purveyors should be able to get it for you. My experience, however, is that it is expensive and not that great tasting, in my opinion.

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post #5 of 21
4/28/06 at 8:17pm
We have it here.....a couple local growers raise it, most of it goes to restaurants. It's pretty prolific in Belleville Illinois just over the Mississippi River from St. Louis. Personally I prefer the green or purple over white.
cooking with all your senses.....
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post #6 of 21
4/29/06 at 10:24am
If i may be honest. The green asparagus we get in cali are from mexico. They taste 10x better then the white. The woodys, earthy flavor they give off can't compare. IMO
Yes they do have a different color and texture, though its not worth the price difference just for that.
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post #7 of 21
4/29/06 at 6:19pm

white asparagus

ask your produce vendor. Here in NYC we get them periodically from Manhattan Produce which is in the Chelsea Market (where Emeril films his show)

I have to agree tho that the fresh spring green ones are the best - better than white. IMO
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post #8 of 21
4/30/06 at 6:17pm
Thread Starter 
Really? You guys like the green one better? I mean, I like the green one also, but when i had the white ones in Spain. They were magnificent. Honestly, I loved it, and crave it to this day. Call me crazy, hahaha.
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post #9 of 21
4/30/06 at 7:13pm
No probs here in Hampton Roads, I can get it fresh, within season, right from a grower in Pungo. I like it for presentation, but prefer the green for flavor/texture.
Like all good meals, this too shall pass
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post #10 of 21
4/30/06 at 8:44pm
here in Buffalo I can get it now from my normal produce purveyor, the chinese market seems to have it year round, but like most others say, it isnt really worth it....
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post #11 of 21
5/1/06 at 5:18am

Isn't White Asparagus just blanched asparagus?

Not as in how it's prepared, but how it's grown. I've done a fair amount of gardening and some 'white' veggies are actually just regular veggies that are covered during their growth process and not exposed to sunlight. (the whole clorophil thing I think.)

Green veggies, not types of corn.

Don't know about white Asp though...Is it a species or just an engineering trick?

A*
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post #12 of 21
5/1/06 at 5:31am
It's done as AprilB describes. Soil is mounded over the asp. As it grows, which can be almost a foot a day, the soil is piled higher and denies the asp any sunlight, keeping it white. I'll join with some of the others, I like the green better too. I don't know, but I suspect it's more nutritious as well.

Tony
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post #13 of 21
5/1/06 at 9:24am
The technique of preventing green vegetables from turning green comes from the process of etiolation (depriving them of light) and in gardening jargon is called "blanching". It can be achieved in many ways, mulch, sand, straw, buckets, etc.

Vegetables that are often blanched:
Garlic Chives = Golden Needles (blanched garlic chives for Asian produce)
Asparagus = White Asparagus
Celery is sometimes blanched as well
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post #14 of 21
5/1/06 at 8:44pm
Isn't Belgian endive "blanched" as well?
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post #15 of 21
5/6/06 at 10:46pm

also purple asparagus?

Does purple asparagus really exist or it's just a joke cuz white asparagus is mentioned? if so where can this be found and how does it taste??? intereasting stuff!:smoking:
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post #16 of 21
5/7/06 at 2:24am
White asparagus in Europe tastes different and is almost worshipped in some countries. North American white asparagus is usually of poor quality -- perhaps because of different varieties used or different soils.
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post #17 of 21
5/7/06 at 7:23am
This technique ( blanching ) is also used to a degree growing leeks.
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post #18 of 21
5/7/06 at 7:38am
Lamington I would tend to agree with your statement except one of the best farmers I know raised white asparagus on his small intensive farm.....there were a few top end restaurants that snatched up 95% of it.....still the chorophyll works for me.
cooking with all your senses.....
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post #19 of 21
5/11/06 at 9:01am
in northwest conncecticut where i live the grocery store Stop and shop carries it starting in early spring for sometimes the same price as green
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post #20 of 21
5/22/06 at 2:30am
We can manage to get white asparagus even up here in Alaska...I'm pretty sure if you can get it here, that you'll be able to find it everywhere else in the US.
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post #21 of 21
6/16/06 at 11:22pm
My Costco has it right now.
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