Asparagus

A patient crop

An asparagus crown takes three years from planting before it can be harvested at full strength. Once established, a single bed produces for 15–20 years. Each spring, the stalks burst out of the soil at their full diameter — the cook is harvesting an emerging shoot, not a slice of a wider stalk.

Why white asparagus is white

White asparagus is the same plant as green. It’s grown beneath mounded earth so the spear never sees sunlight; without sunlight, no chlorophyll develops. White asparagus has a milder, almost nutty flavor and is the spring obsession of Germany, the Netherlands, and France during Spargelzeit (“asparagus season”).

The smell test

After eating asparagus, about 40% of people produce a distinct smell in their urine, caused by sulfur compounds (asparagusic acid). Genetics also determine who can detect the smell — many of the people who can’t smell it still produce it.

Cooking note

Asparagus toughens when overcooked. Snap each stalk where the tender top meets the woody base; it breaks naturally at the right point. Cook just until tender-crisp — 3–4 minutes for steaming, 2 minutes for stir-frying.