What is spargel in Germany?
Germans are absolutely crazy about asparagus, known here as Spargel. Whereas other asparagus-eating nations like France, Italy and the United States prefer the green variety, in Germany it’s white asparagus or nothing.
How is Spargelfest celebrated in Germany?
in Germany. Spargelfests or Asparagus festivals are very popular in Germany. Asparagus season is celebrated from mid April to June 24. The Spargelfests feature dancing, Spargel peeling contests, aspargus dishes from appetizer to desserts, and of course the crown a Spargel Queen.
Why is asparagus popular in Germany?
A History of Consumption in Spargelzeit However, the annual production of asparagus averages just under 60,000 tons. So Germany imports asparagus to meet the continuously high demand for the healthy stalks. The vegetable’s popularity may in part be rooted in its long history as a luxury vegetable.
Where is Spargelfest?
Schwetzingen, which is in the Asparagus Triangle together with the cities of Heidelberg and Mannheim, hosts the most famous Spargelfest on the first Saturday of May. The festivities traditionally take place outside the Schwetzingen Castle, which used to be the summer residence of Elector of Bavaria, Karl Theodor.
How do you grow spargel?
How to Grow White Asparagus
- Turn the soil in a full-sun garden bed with a spade the fall before planting, loosening it to a 12-inch depth.
- Dig a 12-inch-deep furrow for each asparagus row immediately before planting in spring, after frost danger is past.
What is the difference between white and green asparagus?
How They’re Grown. The basic difference between green and white asparagus relates back to its roots—literally. While white asparagus is grown in a dark environment, either underground or well covered, the green version gets to soak up all the sunlight.
What is asparagus season in Germany?
Whilst the green variety is available all year round, Germans prefer the seasonal white variety that grows only during ‘Spargelzeit’ (asparagus season) which lasts from mid-April to mid or late June. More white asparagus is eaten in Germany than anywhere else in the world, except Switzerland.
How much asparagus do Germans eat?
It’s impossible to overstate just how much the Germans love their “white gold”: they consume around 125,000 tonnes of it a year. Spargelzeit, or white asparagus season, officially begins in April, and harvesting finishes punctually on 24 June, the Christian celebration of the nativity of John the Baptist.
What is special about German asparagus?
It is white asparagus that makes the German heart beat faster; long, thick spears grown under mounds of earth (unlike green asparagus, which is grown above ground) and served up with butter and ham.
Which country eats the most asparagus?
Global Asparagus Consumption With nearly X thousand tonnes, China became the world’s leading asparagus consuming country, mixed up X% of global consumption. The other major consumers were Peru (X thousand tonnes) and the United States (X thousand tonnes), with a share of X% and X%, respectively.
What is the most popular meat in German cuisine?
Bratwurst
Among the most popular and most common are Bratwurst, usually made of ground pork and spices, the Wiener (Viennese), which may be pork or beef and is smoked and fully cooked in a water bath, and Blutwurst (blood sausage) or Schwarzwurst (black sausage) made from blood (often of pigs or geese).
Is purple asparagus better than green?
Purple asparagus has a sweeter taste than the more familiar green type and is best used in salads and other raw preparations because it loses its unique color when cooked. In addition to coloring the vegetable, it’s also an antioxidant that can improve the function of the immune system.