Legend has it that white asparagus was discovered in Bassano del Grappa, Veneto during the 16th century. A hailstorm had destroyed the crop above ground, forcing people to subsist on what was left underneath. It was then that they discovered the tender sweetness of white asparagus.
While the ancient Greeks and Romans favored it for its medicinal and aphrodisiac properties, France's Louis XIV liked it so much that he got his gardener to develop a cultivation method that would allow him to have fresh asparagus all year round.
Technically speaking, white asparagus is green asparagus that has been deprived of light during cultivation. However, the similarities between the two end at the formation of the shoot.
While the choicest green spears are as slim as sprouts, prized white spears – smooth, straight and with a perfect white tip – run almost an inch in diameter. The pungent bitter-ish flavors of the green asparagus are less apparent in the white, allowing the naturally sweet and nutty flavors of the white to come through.
In terms of texture, white asparagus is also more tender, making it more versatile for cooking.
White asparagus is cultivated through etiolation (deprivation of light). Traditionally, soil is mounded around the growing stalks to prevent them from breaking through and receiving sunlight. Modern methods simplify this by placing black plastic sheets over the soil.
Cultivation however, remains tedious and labor-intensive – farmers have to closely observe their crop to make sure that the temperature does not get too hot under the covers, resulting in the unfurling of the tips.
It is this difficulty of cultivation – and the demand for this delicacy – that doubles the value of the white asparagus compared to its mechanically harvested green counterpart.
Bassano is an obvious place to look if you want the top stalk. The royal vegetable produced here even has an official name, issued by the Italian government: Asparagi DOC di Bassano.
It is the Germans however, who have really claimed the vegetable as their own. The best spargel – as white asparagus is called in Germany – comes from regions like Schwetzingen, Beelitz, Bruchsal and Schrobenhausen. Schwetzingen, in particular, claims to be the "Asparagus Capital of the World", and it is here that one finds the annual Spargelfest.
In France, Argenteuil (located in the suburbs of Paris) produces the "Précoce d'Argenteuil", a large-speared heirloom varietal that dates back to the 18th century. Other areas of France that produce white asparagus include the French Alsace region, Bordeaux and the Loire Valley. The French asparagus season coincides with that in Germany.
White asparagus has a much more delicate taste than its green cousin, and can be served as a cold or hot appetizer, side dish and soup, or tossed in with salads and pastas. Traditionally, the stalks are simply boiled or steamed until tender.
As it has a lean taste, asparagus is often paired with 'fatty' ingredients such as hollandaise sauce, butter and eggs (à la flammande). Some chefs serve them au naturel or with just a drizzling of olive oil and shavings of Parmesan cheese.
Traditional German foods such as hams, mustards and vinaigrettes also go well with white asparagus, and are served in these combinations in fine restaurants.
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