Tasmanian white asparagus
Tasmanian White Asparagus is a coming together of a small group of Tasmanian farmers and investors to produce what is arguably the best white asparagus grown in Australia.
The group consists of Richard and Belinda Weston (whose produce at Brighton we have been writing about for many years) and Tom Barham and Jenna Howlett.
It is now a commercial venture being sold within Tasmania and in other states to high-end restaurants ranging from Neil Perry’s Margaret Restaurant in Double Bay, Sydney to Kobi Ruzicka’s famed Hobart restaurant, Dier Makr.
In fact, it has taken a while to bring everything together considering that Richard first studied the growing of this amazing product in the Netherlands over ten years ago while he was on a European study tour.
White asparagus is grown in a unique way that involves depriving the plants of sunlight to prevent the development of chlorophyll, the green pigment responsible for photosynthesis. Unlike green asparagus, which is allowed to undergo photosynthesis and develop chlorophyll, white asparagus is kept in the dark to produce a milder flavor and a pale color.
The process of growing white asparagus typically involves mounding soil or covering the spears with dark material like plastic or soil, preventing sunlight from reaching them. This lack of sunlight inhibits the formation of chlorophyll and, consequently, photosynthesis. As a result, the asparagus spears remain white and have a more delicate taste compared to green asparagus.
While white asparagus doesn’t undergo photosynthesis in the traditional sense due to its lack of chlorophyll, the energy needed for growth comes from the stored reserves in the plant’s roots and crown. The plant utilizes these energy stores to produce the edible asparagus spears even in the absence of photosynthesis. Once the spears emerge from the ground, they are harvested before they have a chance to turn green due to exposure to sunlight.
We have included Tasmanian White Asparagus in our survey of the best organic produce to be found in Tasmania here.
