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Asparagus
by
: Mehru Jaffer
Devoured by Julius
Caesar and adored by Pompadour the ultimate fantasy of chef Kai-Uwe
Klenz is to be able to bite into a crunchy asparagus as well. The one
condition being that it should be of the white variety.
It was his
grandfather's kitchen garden that got the young Klenz addicted to the
slender vegetable of the lily family. As he grew up he vowed to study
the art of cooking so that he could prepare the succulent spring
stalks the way it was offered to him as a child. As chef at the
Kempinski Hotel Munich, Germany Klenz,32 spends much time frantically
flying around the world to spread his love for asparagus in places far
and wide. He comes to Indonesia with over 300 kilograms of the
vegetable that was prized by epicures even before Roman times, and
pages full of recipes. He admits that it is easy for him to nibble
away at a kilogram a day without an, "oh" or an
"ah".
"But this is not
because of my love for asparagus," clarified Klenz to The Jakarta
Post pointing to his paunch. For the only thing plump about asparagus
is its own juicy stalk. The white asparagus is a highly nutritious
vegetable considered a good source of the vitamins A and C and also of
minerals, potassium, phosphorus and iron. It is said to be ideal for
all those on a low sodium diet and calorie counters are promised no
harm done in a plate a day. However it is the butter and cheese sauces
that invariably drown the seasonal vegetable that may cause people to
become a kilo or two heavier at the end of Spargelzeit, or asparagus
time.
The aristocrat
amongst vegetables is mentioned in writing nearly 2000 years ago not
as a delicacy but as a medicinal herb and cultivated only in convent
or at curative herb gardens. Later nobility favoured it and it
remained a luxury available only to the ruling elite till a 150 years
ago. It has taken the Germans hundreds of years to master the
technique of growing asparagus and keeping the white variety protected
from sunlight which gives all vegetables chlorophyll, the colour
green. Klenz is happy that the vegetable is now available to one and
all, the best variety coming from Bavaria and making Schwetzingen the
most famous asparagus city in the world.
Although asparagus
was brought into Europe from Siberia, over the centuries Spargel mania
is become a very Germany thing. Available throughout the year, the
finest, freshest variety is found only at spring time. Cultivated
under the earth and harvested in the early morning dawn, the sight of
the tip of an asparagus head popping out of the earth is a culinary
celebration in Germany. Between the end of April and June 24 all of
Germany seems to do little else but pay homage to the royal vegetable.
And how? Menus at most restaurants are supplemented with a special
asparagus fare offering at least 50 different ways to serve it.
Asparagus contests are held everywhere and asparagus queens are chosen
at specially organised festivals.
Helmut Zipner also
known as Spargel Tarzan is listed in the Guiness Book of Records for
consuming the greatest amount of asparagus in the shortest number of
hours and for the bookish there are plenty of seminars and talks on
the same subject. So much is made of the asparagus as it signifies the
advent of spring. Traditionally the asparagus season was observed
between the end of Christmas festivities and the beginning of spring.
The white coloured asparagus rising erect from the belly of winter,
"as dark as the devil's soul" is seen as a symbol of
hope and life after. After months of overcast skies and a life bound
by much snow, the joy of seeing the first ray of sunshine and the
promise of much greenery to come, is unimaginable.
"When I close my
eyes and think of the asparagus I also see images of birds singing,
the sun shining and all the trees sprouting fresh green leaves and
colourful blossoms," Klenz says as he vigorously whipped cream
for the white asparagus soup, part of the set menu available at
Jakarta's Kempinski Hotel. The second course is a chunk of Norwegian
salmon and beef medallions, parsley potatoes and hollandaise sauce
served with none other than the royal asparagus.
Klenz adds that he enjoys asparagus only during the spring when it is
white and still freshly available. After every June 24, he does not
touch the vegetable till next spring. He advices gourmets here to do
the same and extends an open invitation to celebrate with him the
asparagus season till 27 May at the Java restaurant, Kempinski Hotel
Plaza.
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