Vegetables for the German mind
The German love of asparagus is cooling off
05/01/2022, 10:40 a.m
Whether from Schwetzingen, Beelitz or Schrobenhausen: white asparagus and the Germans, that is love. However, not everyone has the same passion. A new survey now shows how popular the supposedly typical German spring vegetable really is.
“Royal vegetables”, “white gold”, “edible ivory”: People like to pay homage to asparagus, but criticism of the hype surrounding the so-called noble vegetable has also become a tradition. White asparagus is then denigrated as a piece of wood or fibrous nonsense from the earth, which only tastes good with the inevitable Hollandaise sauce – “Schlotze”, as satirical figure Gernot Hassknecht calls it “heute show”. The fact is: Millions love asparagus and look forward to it every year. But in the asparagus republic of Germany, many shake their heads at the badly displayed love for him.
Around a third of adults think that too much attention is paid to white asparagus in this country, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by the German Press Agency. Asparagus is an exaggerated hype in the media, say 32 percent. Almost half (47 percent), on the other hand, find it “good the way it is”. The rest gave no answer, or those questioned (6 percent) would like the asparagus to be given even more attention. Finding: The white asparagus is a very important vegetable for the German mind.
The asparagus season in Germany begins in April and traditionally runs until St. John’s Day on June 24th. The vegetables are often marketed regionally: in Baden-Württemberg, for example, Schwetzinger asparagus is popular, in Berlin and Brandenburg it is Beelitzer, in Bavaria Schrobenhausener, in North Rhine-Westphalia Münsterländer. According to the survey, asparagus is liked by 64 percent of adults in Germany, while 13 percent “don’t like it at all”. Women (68 percent) like asparagus more often than men (60 percent), older people much more than younger people (people over 55 years: 74 percent; 18 to 24 year olds: 47 percent). More than half (53 percent) look forward to the asparagus season every year, 15 percent “not at all”.
Healthy and not cheap
Of those who like asparagus, 62 percent prefer to eat it with hollandaise sauce (a sauce made with egg yolks, clarified butter, salt and pepper), followed by plain butter (22 percent). 9 percent prefer to eat cooked asparagus without sauce or butter. The rest take it differently or did not specify. According to the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), the per capita consumption in Germany was mostly around 1.7 kilograms. 25 years ago it was around 1.3 kilos.
Due to its high water content, asparagus is low in calories, but at the same time rich in vitamins and minerals. For many, the urine smells noticeably strong following consuming asparagus. This is due to the breakdown of aspartic acid, a sulphur-containing aromatic substance in asparagus. In ancient times, the Greek doctor and teacher Hippocrates described the plant as a diuretic remedy. Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine also attribute positive powers to asparagus. The Romans made asparagus a delicacy and a cultivated plant around 2000 years ago.
Even if a lot of asparagus comes from Greece, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands or even Peru and China today: the local asparagus, which is almost always foil asparagus, is particularly popular. Gigantic foils transform fields into plastic deserts for months. Environmentalists complain regarding the rubbish and that such sealed fields as a habitat for birds and bees are no longer available. In addition, the hard working conditions of cheap wage earners in the fields are always an issue and spoil some of the enjoyment.
Just not woody
2020 was a record year for asparagus, says a spokeswoman for the Association of Southern German Asparagus Growers in Bruchsal. It was a little more difficult in 2021, but not at all because of Corona. “The spring of 2021 was quite grey, cold and wet. There were few asparagus at the beginning of the season, and the prices were therefore quite high. It was not until the end of May/beginning of June that the temperatures and thus the harvest volumes rose.”
In 2022, the growers “are assuming a good year of demand” because the weather is playing along and the catering trade is open once more as usual. “People have some catching up to do. The current conditions – apart from inflation – are good for asparagus consumption.”
The only thing that can really spoil the asparagus season for fans is woody asparagus. Only 3 percent still find it “delicious”, 8 percent “edible”, 12 percent were indifferent. 44 percent find woody asparagus “not tasty” and 33 percent “disgusting”.
