Asparagus

© hannover.de

Asparagus - a precious natural resource and off-the-peg luxury

The two asparagus capitals of Burgdorf and Nienburg, north of Hannover, are connected by Federal Highway B 188, which is also known in this region as the “Lower Saxony Asparagus Route.” Along this country road, which winds its way over rolling hills through lush meadows, dense rows of grain, and idyllic farming villages, lie the treasures of the Hannover region: asparagus fields as far as the eye can see. Shortly after sunrise, tireless harvesters are already out in the fields, harvesting as much as the sandy, flat-topped earthen ridges will yield. Until St. John’s Day on June 24: that’s when the asparagus season ends, because this delicate lily plant needs to recover and gather strength until next year.

© Hannover.de

Asparagus is by no means a modern agricultural discovery; the aromatic spears were already known in ancient times. Hippocrates, on whom physicians swear an oath, attributed healing properties to Asparagus officinalis (its scientific name) as early as 460 BC and was convinced that the phallic vegetable refreshed the libido and aroused "lustful desire" in men. In fact, asparagus is rich in vitamins B and C, minerals and potassium salts. It owes its strong aroma to its high aspartic acid content - it gets the body's fluids going by draining the body and stimulating kidney activity. The slender spears are also good for the figure: one kilo (unsalted and without sauce) weighs in at just 170 kcal or 730 kl. In the Roman Empire, however, asparagus was prized as a tasty and expensive delicacy that only the wealthy could afford. Today and in this country, however, asparagus is on everyone's lips and affordable. The daily price for the delicate luxury off the shelf is largely determined by the weather: if there is a lot of warming sunshine in the fields, the yield is good and the supply is large. This lowers the price and raises the gourmet mood.

Burgdorf Showcases Its Asparagus

Like no other vegetable, the noble asparagus has shaped German dining culture. With over 1,000 exhibits spanning five centuries, the Burgdorf Asparagus Exhibition showcases all manner of precious and curious items made of fine porcelain, faience, silver, and other materials—from sauce boats and serving dishes to silver cutlery, plates, and tureens from around the world: in addition to an exquisite asparagus service from the United States and the “Schweinchen” asparagus tureen from Japan, visitors can also see a magnificent asparagus tongs from Russia as well as a French porcelain asparagus dish shaped like Brillat-Savarin’s famous classic cookbook from 1826.

Friedrich-Karl Wiesener of Burgdorf spent many years passionately collecting all these treasures and donated his unique private collection to his hometown in 1997. Since 2005, the Burgdorf Asparagus Collection—which also offers an entertaining cultural-historical retrospective and overview of this exclusive vegetable in art and literature, medicine, and pharmacy—has been on permanent display at the Lower Saxony Asparagus Museum in Nienburg, located at Leinstraße 4 (www.museum-nienburg.de).

Nienburg Celebrates Asparagus

In Nienburg, the “new castle” and former seat of the Counts of Hoya, food lovers from the city and the surrounding countryside gather every May for the “Nienburg Asparagus Festival.” They feast and celebrate late into the night at numerous tables, accompanied by music and dancing, and, following an old tradition, crown a new Asparagus Queen—the charming ambassador for a truly majestic vegetable.

Asparagus service

Purely a matter of taste: the color of the asparagus

White asparagus: thick, straight spears with closed tips that grow underground. They have a slightly bitter aroma and a delicate, mild flavor
. Green asparagus: grows above ground and has a hearty flavor. It can also be
cooked unpeeled. Purple asparagus: the first rays of sunshine add a touch of color to the elegant pale spears, giving them a spicy note

Tips & Tricks

The number one rule when buying asparagus is: the fresher, the better. Fresh asparagus has a closed head, the firm spears squeak slightly when rubbed together and the tips are juicy. An unmistakable indicator of freshness is the "nail test": if you press the cut ends of freshly cut asparagus with your fingernail, watery juice will drip out. If the cut ends remain dry, it is not advisable to buy them. Unpeeled asparagus can be kept in the fridge in a damp kitchen towel for about four days, frozen in the freezer for four to six months.

Use water sparingly when cooking the fine spears (bundle in portions and steam standing upright in a lightly salted water bath for 20 to 30 minutes)! Water rinses out the valuable aromatic substances and vitamins. If you cook asparagus for several days in a row, you should keep the stock and cook the next portion in it. After three batches, the broth provides the stock for a great asparagus soup.

Asparagus sale directly from the field

Fresh from the field, asparagus is available at numerous roadside stands between Burgdorf and Nienburg, along the B 65 between Hannover and Nienburg, and along the B 3 between Hannover and Celle.

Recipe tip from Ekkehard Reimann of the restaurant “Clichy” in Hannover

Sautéed Asparagus with Tagliatelle (serves 4)
600 grams peeled asparagus (equivalent to about 1 kilogram unpeeled)
100 ml high-quality olive oil
20 grams butter
Salt, nutmeg, parsley, 1 pinch of sugar
100 grams grated Parmesan cheese
4 servings of tagliatelle

Preparation:

Slice
the asparagus diagonally into 4-mm-thick pieces. Heat
the olive oil and a little butter in a large skillet. Add the asparagus and sauté for about 3 minutes until tender (it should still be crisp!) Season
with salt, nutmeg, and sugar. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan, toss quickly with the cooked pasta, and garnish
with parsley on the plate. Pair with a young German Riesling from the Mosel or a Baden Pinot Blanc

Enjoy your meal!