Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook! Glad you’re here!
For the last several posts, I’ve been waxing poetic about my favorite vegetable, asparagus. In my last post, I broached that most controversial of subjects: do you prefer skinny or fat asparagus? I got some fun feedback from folks, including from my friend, Paul, who said he learned a lot about asparagus from my post. Yay! Paul’s a smart guy and so finding a teachable moment is rare! He then asked about white asparagus vs. green asparagus. I started explaining the differences, and he waved me off saying “Keri–a true ‘completionist’ would write this up in a blog post!”
Challenge accepted–and I learned some new things, too, so–win-win!
There are actually four colors of asparagus: green, white, purple and pink–the pink being the most unusual and difficult to find.
In the springtime, here in the states, we see piles and piles of fresh, green asparagus at the markets starting in February or March and continuing through at least May and sometimes into July. Less abundant in the states are white asparagus, which are favored in European countries–the Alsace region of France being renowned for its white asparagus in March, April and as late as May. Purple asparagus can be found alongside green asparagus, but are rather unusual. The most unusual are the pink asparagus, grown in the Mezzago region of Lombardy, Italy.
So what’s the difference?
In my last post, I discussed the differences between skinny and fat asparagus and explained something about the plant and how asparagus grow. In the case of fat and skinny asparagus, the differences can have to do with the age of the plant as well as varietal.
In the case of green vs. white asparagus, they’re both the same varietal–the only difference is the way they’re grown.
Green asparagus are the shoots from the plant that are allowed to live and grow in the sunlight, thereby developing chlorophyll, giving them their green color.
White asparagus grow without the benefit of sunlight either by being covered with tarps or through a practice known as “hilling.” “Hilling” is the technique of covering the shoots with dirt, wood chips or other natural substance to prevent the shoots from being exposed to sunlight. Both covering the plants with tarps and “hilling” achieve the same goal, which is to deprive the plants from sunlight so they never develop chlorophyll, thus allowing them their iconic white color.
Purple asparagus are a different varietal altogether and they’re kind of interesting. Purple asparagus originated in the Albenga region of Italy and are genetically different from green, white and pink asparagus. They are purple because they contain anthocyanin, which is a potent antioxidant flavonoid, known to be an anti-inflammatory and to have anti-cancer benefits. They are sweeter than the other colors of asparagus and contain about 20% more sugar than the other types. But beware–the purple color is ephemeral and when exposed to heat, disappears and turns green. The good news is that because they are sweeter and less fibrous, they are best eaten raw–either shredded or sliced thin into a salad. Additionally, if you want to maintain that photogenic purple exterior, avoid peeling the stems too much because beneath that regal, purple exterior, lies light green flesh.
Finally, there’s the pink asparagus. Pink asparagus? Yup. They’re another Italian varietal grown in Mezzago, in the Lombardia region of Italy. They’re actually only pink-tipped, with the rest of the asparagus stalk being a creamy white–so–similar to the white asparagus, only with a velvety-pink tip. They’re very striking! So I think I would have remembered seeing them, which leads me to believe that we must only rarely, if ever, see them here in the states. They get their pink color from a combination of the iron-rich soil in which they’re grown and the judicious placement and treatment with tarps and plastic coverings to carefully control the amount of chlorophyll allowed to be produced in the plant (if any–and I couldn’t really determine how much, if any, chlorophyll was allowed to develop in the pink asparagus).
So is there any difference nutritionally? Yep–there is. The purple asparagus win for nutrition.
In general, the deeper and brighter the color of vegetables, the better they are for you because they get their intense colors from phytochemicals. These compounds are responsible for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that are beneficial for overall health.
As mentioned above, purple asparagus contain anthocyanin, the potent antioxidant flavonoid, and, like their green cousins, are allowed to develop chlorophyll, so win, win and the winner in the nutrition contest.
Next most nutritious would probably be the green asparagus, with white asparagus pulling up the rear. This is NOT to say that white asparagus are bad for you by any means–it just means that white asparagus are not quite as nutritious as their more vibrantly colored counterparts.
There is not a lot of information out there about the nutrition profile of pink asparagus, so I’m not going to guess.
I hope you enjoyed this deep dive into the rainbow of asparagus!
Tune in tomorrow for a Good Friday fish feast.
Until then,
Peace, love and good food,
Keri
