Stalking White Asparagus

If you find yourself in Germany in May, get ready to enjoy some white asparagus. May is the month for festivals and special menus dedicated to this delicate vegetable, which is white simply because it’s picked early in the season, before it turns green. Almost every eatery in Germany offers a Spargelkarte, a special asparagus menu, where you’ll find it served with butter or hollandaise; cooked potatoes; or with salmon or ham. Some restaurants even offer an all-you-can-eat feast.

If that’s not enough for you, explore the region of Baden-Wuerttemberg, which has established an “Asparagus Road” that winds through the most famous asparagus-producing towns. On May 3, better known as “Asparagus Saturday,” the town of Schwetzingen offers a plethora of food stalls with tempting asparagus-based delicacies, accompanied by dancing and music. Try your hand at the asparagus peeling competition, and watch the crowning of the asparagus king. You’ll also find asparagus festivals in the Pfaelzer Forest in Baden-Wuerttemberg’s northwest, Buechenau, and the largest asparagus festival in Bruchsal, near Stuttgart, which lies on the Upper Rhine plain, usually in the middle of May. For more information, visit tourism-bw.com. —Denise Shoukas

Denise Shoukas is a regular foodspring.com contributor and is the author of foodspring’s food forager blog.