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500g Bunch of White Asparagus 'La Délicate'
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500g Bunch of White Asparagus
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White Asparagus 'La Délicate'

Sale price£25.00
Net: 500g Loire Valley origin Graded by calibre: 22 (thick) and 16 (slim) Milder, sweeter and more delicate than green asparagus

Grown blind beneath mounded soil in the Loire Valley, harvested by hand before each spear sees light. White asparagus has a tender, buttery sweetness that green varieties cannot reach — and a season measured in weeks, not months.
500g Bunch of White Asparagus 'La Délicate'
White Asparagus 'La Délicate' Sale price£25.00

'La Délicate' white asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) from the Loire Valley — grown in the sandy soils between Chinon and Bourgueil, where the conditions for white asparagus production are ideal. White asparagus is the same plant as green asparagus, but the growing method is entirely different. As each spear emerges, soil is mounded over it to prevent any exposure to light. Without light there is no photosynthesis, no chlorophyll and no colour — just pale ivory spears with a flavour that is milder, sweeter and more delicate than their green counterparts. The process is labour-intensive: every spear must be individually earthed up and then carefully harvested by hand before the tip breaks the surface.

The result is a vegetable with a tender, almost buttery texture and a gentle, nutty sweetness that has made white asparagus one of the most prized seasonal ingredients in French, German and Dutch cooking. These spears are graded by calibre — the thicker the spear, the more tender the core relative to its outer layers. Available in two sizes: Calibre 22 (thicker, premium spears) and Calibre 16 (slimmer spears). White asparagus has a short and genuinely seasonal window — typically available from late March through April — and is one of those ingredients that marks the turning point of the year in a professional kitchen.

Origin: Loire Valley, France (Chinon–Bourgueil)

Ingredients: White asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)

Storage: Refrigerate immediately. Keep wrapped in a damp cloth or paper towel. Use within two to three days of delivery for best results — white asparagus deteriorates faster than green.

 

The first step is to remove first 1-2 inches of woody stem. Take one asparagus and move a small sharp knife upwards from the bottom of the stem in small increments, the knife will ‘give’and cut through easily where the woody stem ends. Peel the outer skin on last 3 inches of the stem using a vegetable peeler. Use this stem as a measure, trim the rest of the bunch. If you have enough, save the woody ends to add flavour to a soup.

Place the white asparagus in a shallow pan, add enough cold water to just cover the stems or come halfway up the side of the pan, roughly a tablespoon of unsalted butter and a pinch of salt. Cover with a parchment cartouche and cook gently on a low heat for around 8 -12 minutes, depending on thickness, or until the tip of a knife will go into a stem with little resistance. If you have time, allow the asparagus to cool in the liquid as it will enhance the flavour. You can warm it through in a little unsalted butter, with added salt to taste, when ready to serve.

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