While all asparagus, regardless of color, is grown in a sandy based soil, white asparagus is kept under the soil in mounds, a process referred to as etiolation, which basically means that it is deprived of sunlight and therefore does not undergo a chlorophorm process with turns asparagus green. All asparagus provides the same medicinal benefits. A half-cup of cooked asparagus provides significant amounts of potassium, which acts to maintain electrolyte balance in cells, folic acid, which helps prevent birth defects, cervical, colon, rectal cancer and heart disease. Asparagus also provides a good amount of vitamin C which helps boost the body’s natural immune system and regulate blood pressure. Asparagus is a good source of beta carotene and acts on the body as a diuertic. Along with providing all these essential benefits, all asparagus has no cholesterol, sodium or fat.
White asparagus has a a slightly less nutritional content due to the growing conditions, but has a succulent buttery flavor all of its own. White asparagus is generally grown under close scrutiny among farmers, allowing the grower to maintain similar shapes and sizes in stalks. White asparagus also does not hold up to stir frying as the stalks are much too tender and can easily be cut with a fork even just picked. Years back, when I sold imported French foods to upscale restaurants, most of them used this vegetable as a garnish as it is attractive on the plate. It also adds a nice smooth flavor used in a plate salad with cherry tomatoes, a few pine nuts, half of a hard boiled egg, a few drained capers and a slice of romaine. I guess the biggest difference between the two types of asparagus is the price. In the restaurant trade, white asparagus is sold packed in small cylindrical cans and runs nearly $8 for a pound!
Most white asparagus sold in this country in local supermarkets comes packed in cans and has been trimmed so severely that the fibers of the vegetable will break down completely if you try to heat or cook the asparagus before using. Should you want to use this exotic vegetable in your cooking, I suggest applying the vegetable to your cooked and well-heated food.
As an exanmple, I have used this in omelets with Swiss cheese and simply make the omelet, place the cheese on one half of the omelet and then place a few of the spears atop the cheese. Folding the omelet, or rolling it out of the skillet onto a plate will allow the asparagus to gain enough heat from the eggs to provide the ful flavor of the asparagus. Or use in a cold salad as it requires no cooking to be edible.
