A true culinary tradition in Belgium, the harvest of asparagus will begin across Belgium next week, with Flemish and Walloon getting ready to harvest their crops. The versatile shoots appear only very briefly in Belgian supermarkets, so customers shouldn’t miss the opportunity to snatch them up.
Asparagus is a favourite of Belgian cooks. It can be grilled, steamed, baked, boiled, roasted, sautéd, boiled, or pan-roasted. Flemish asparagus (asperges op vlaamse) is a white variety notably grown around the Mechelen area and is especially coveted in Belgium and France. White asparagus is traditionally served with a rich butter, parsley, and eggs.
Flemish white asparagus is said to be softer and sweeter than the green variety. Traditionally, this type of asparagus was harvested just after sunrise to keep its delicate white colour. Locals sometimes refer to it as “white gold.”
According to the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, the asparagus plant is one of the oldest horticultural crops in Belgium. It first arrived in Belgium in the 19th century, being cultivated in Ghent. By the end of the century, Mechelen became a European hub for asparagus.
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The harvest season for asparagus of all varieties is typically from mid-April until mid-June. But shoppers should move fast to get true local asparagus as opposed to those grown abroad. The shoots are typically grown today in the provinces of Limburg, Antwerp, and Flemish Brabant. Yet the Belgian industry is in decline faced with competition from Greece and Italy.
In Wallonia, 20 producers have grouped together to protect their crops against cheaper exports from abroad, RTL Info reports. Growers say that asparagus equally thrives in Walloon soils, which are particularly rich in nutrients. Around 90 hectares of land is dedicated to asparagus cultivation in the less developed Walloon sector.
