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Before the first ruby-red strawberry is plucked from the patch, the sight of asparagus stalks shooting through the soil is the crowning glory of spring for lovers of local produce.
It's something fresh, local, new after the winter," said Cynthia Van Ede of 4 Seasons Farm Shop, a roadside market in Simcoe that stocks two varieties of Norfolk County asparagus.
It's one of the first local items that comes out fresh from the field, so that's why I think people get so excited," Van Ede said.
Asparagus started popping up on farm-gate stands in Norfolk last week, just in time for Mother's Day. Elite Pak, a grower in Delhi that provides green and purple asparagus to 4 Seasons, expects to have the vitamin-packed veggie available until early July.
Van Ede's partner, Danny Den Baars, finds purple asparagus sweeter and more tender than its green cousin, an impression confirmed by the purple variety having about 20 per cent more natural sugar in its stalks. But purple asparagus turns green when cooked, so hosts banking on the rich colour to wow guests should use it raw in a salad or charcuterie board instead.
Though widely popular in Europe, white asparagus is relatively hard to find in Canada. Den Baars only knows of one grower in Norfolk and 4 Seasons stopped stocking it a few years ago.
Because white asparagus is grown underground - the lack of sunlight keeps it from turning green - it is a more labour-intensive crop to harvest, making the price significantly higher.
In the Netherlands we call them white gold, because they are really expensive in Europe as well," Van Ede said.
Van Ede's preferred ways to enjoy asparagus are roasted or in a creamy soup, while Den Baars likes his wrapped in bacon and grilled on the barbecue.
Den Baars only eats asparagus when it is fresh" and in season because it tastes nice," and he appreciates the smaller carbon footprint when compared to asparagus shipped north from Mexico or Peru.
Everything that is local is better," he said.
J.P. Antonacci's reporting on Haldimand and Norfolk is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. jpantonacci@thespec.com