Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
also tends to be a little crisper and have a brighter color that stands out better in a mix of
ingredients.
As far as white asparagus is concerned, it's hardly worth arguing over, since so little
of it is available in the United States these days, and what little you will find is usually
fabulously expensive. White asparagus isn't a different variety, but rather spears that have
been meticulously grown to prevent any exposure to sunlight. Sunlight creates chloro-
phyll, which has a green color. To grow white asparagus, farmers repeatedly pile more
and more soft earth over the asparagus tips just as they begin to emerge, thus blocking the
light. If you do find some white asparagus and decide to splurge, be very careful when
peeling it. To get to the tender heart, you'll need to peel more deeply than you do for green
asparagus, and because it is so expensive, you'll want to avoid as much waste as possible.
In Germany, Switzerland and Austria, where white asparagus is celebrated, traditionally
only the head chef is allowed to peel it, and only with a special vegetable peeler with an
adjustable blade - designed just for that job.
One more controversy persists over asparagus, and those with delicate sensibilities
must be cautioned. For centuries some people have noticed a change in the odor of their
urine after eating asparagus, the result of the body's metabolizing sulfurous compounds in
the vegetable. (Proust credited asparagus with "transforming my chamber pot into a vase
of aromatic perfume.")
Until relatively recently, scientists were divided into two camps on this matter. One
group held that some eaters are genetically predisposed to produce a chemical when they
eat asparagus. The opposing group believed that some people have a genetically linked
ability to smell the chemical. Today it is more commonly thought that the second theory
is correct. To test this theory, scientists in the 1980s made a crucial change in their ex-
perimental regimen: rather than having people test their own urine for smell, they began
randomizing samples and testers.
On a more savory note, one thing almost everyone can agree on is the importance of
not overcooking asparagus. When overcooked, asparagus not only changes color from a
gorgeous jade and emerald to a woeful olive drab. It also produces a chemical called me-
thoxypyrazine, which has the distinct aroma and flavor of canned asparagus. There may
be some debate, however, about whether this change is good or bad. The same chemical
is a distinctive feature of many of the most expensive Sauvignon Blancs.
