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White Asparagus

4K views 20 replies 18 participants last post by  david jones 
#1 ·
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?
 
#4 ·
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.
 
#6 ·
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.
I like my tri-color cauliflower :talk:
:ciao:
 
#7 ·
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
 
#11 ·
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*
 
#12 ·
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
 
#13 ·
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
 
#18 ·
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.
 
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