The return of the exclusively-seasonal and highly-anticipated white asparagus menu comes through the multitude of classic Bavarian favourites served at Brotzeit. Touted by Germans as “White Gold”, Brotzeit brings the fever to Singapore shores from 6 April until 18 June 2023. Compared to its greener and more familiar counterpart, the white asparagus draws a much softer texture with a subtle and delicate flavour that’s sweet with just a hint of bitterness. It’s no wonder Germany’s underground King of Vegetables has a season named after it!
Spargelzeit, directly translated to mean Asparagus Time, spans from approximately mid-April to mid-June each year, when the white asparagus is exclusively in season. Marking the end of winter and the arrival of spring, white asparagus season is an integral part of German culture, where festivals are held across the country, with pop-up stalls appearing all around towns and villages.
Brotzeit’s white asparagus are all hand-picked and flown directly from European farms, delicately prepared to ensure freshness and flavour and maximum retention of its nutritional benefits. Representing a piece of home for Germans to enjoy in Singapore.
The Highlights
Poached lightly to bring out the natural sweetness of the white asparagus, Der Spargel-Klassiker (Classic White Asparagus, $32) is served drizzled with a delectable hollandaise sauce. Complementing its pure taste, the dish comes served with soft parsley potatoes.
It is also available with Honey-baked Ham, Black-forest Ham and Smoked Salmon.
Fun fact: While Singaporeans seem to enjoy their white asparagus with hollandaise sauce, most Germans traditionally prefer it with brown butter vinaigrette.
For larger groups, check out the Frühlings-Spargelplatte (White Asparagus Platter, $108), a platter of classic white asparagus (400g) served with a combination of Pork Schnitzel, Wild-garlic Pork Bratwurst, Black-forest ham, Honey-baked ham, potato salad and parsley potatoes with sauce hollandaise.
Best pair with 3L Erdinger Brauhaus Helles Lager ($81).
A new entry for this spring season is Bärlauch Bratwurst ($39), a 450g Wild-garlic pork bratwurst served with potato salad and sauerkraut.
Do you know?
Wild Garlic, also known as Ramson or Bear garlic, is a wild relative of onion and garlic found in moist woodland in Europe and Asia.
For the full menu, check it out here.
For group or corporate booking (15 guests+), please email events@brotzeit.co or submit your request here.
The Beer
Erdinger Brauhaus Helles is a Bavarian lager that pours a clear, bright golden colour with a frothy white head. The aroma is crisp and clean, with biscuity malt notes and a hint of floral hops. The beer is smooth and refreshing on the palate, with a light to medium body and moderate carbonation.
The malt character is prominent, providing a bready sweetness balanced by gentle hop bitterness.
The beer finishes dry and clean, with a lingering biscuity aftertaste.
Erdinger Brauhaus Helles is an easy-drinking beer perfect for a warm summer day. Its light body and crisp, refreshing character make it an excellent choice to pair with various popular Brotzeite dishes.
The Wine*
*Will be available in Mid-April.
This Grauburgunder, exclusively available at Brotzeit is made from a grape known as Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio. It has been partially aged in large wooden barrels adding light oaky aromas to its ripe apple, pear and juicy honeydew melon aroma.
The Wild Grauburgunder Trocken 2020 is dry and aromatic; it displays a beautiful harmonious bouquet and vibrant acidity, making it a great companion for our seasonal white asparagus and other signature Brotzeite dishes.
NOSE: Light wood aromas, ripe yellow apple, some pear and juicy honeydew melon.
TASTE: Animating, harmoniously integrated acidity on the palate and medium-bodied, pronounced minerality, creamy and soft with a lot of mouthfeel.
FINISH: Juicy aromas in the dry finish.
For the full menu, check it out here.
For group or corporate booking (15 guests+), please email events@brotzeit.co or submit your request here.
Group Booking or Corporate Booking
For group or corporate booking (15 guests+), please email events@brotzeit.co or submit your request here.
Asparagus at Home
Enjoy the White Gold at home.
Get the Fresh Asparagus delivered to your home.
Good to know!
What makes a German’s heart sing with joy? Asparagus, mountains of buttery, white asparagus. During Spargelzeit—’asparagus time’, which starts sometime in April but ends exactly on June 24th—Germans eat their way through 125,000 tonnes (138,000 tons) of the stuff, half of which is bought at roadside stands or in markets.
When Germans started liking asparagus
The Romans adored asparagus and even had runners take baskets of the vegetable into the Alps to be frozen for use later in the year. It arrived in Germany via the monasteries sometime in the 1540s.
White asparagus, often called the ‘royal vegetable’, ‘white gold’ or ‘edible ivory’, is the exact same vegetable as green asparagus. The difference in colour is due to the green one growing in the traditional way above ground (therefore exposed to light) and the white one maturing underground. No photosynthesis means no green colour.
Many Germans prefer the white variety because it is thought to be more tender and less bitter. The stalks are generally thicker and longer than the green version, which has tougher skin that makes it unpalatable. Thankfully, many German supermarkets have machines on site that do all the peeling for you.
How Germans like to eat asparagus
As for how to eat the popular vegetable, there are as many methods as there are people cooking it. Some traditional German restaurants often have a special menu designed just for the asparagus season. The classic recipe involves either hollandaise sauce or cooking the asparagus in broth with a bit of ham or bacon. But really, there is no such thing as inappropriate use of Spargel. Take whatever food you like, put some asparagus on top or beside it, and voilà!
Of course, something as important as asparagus isn’t just for eating. In the parts of Germany where the vegetable is grown, gourmet asparagus hikes abound. Like a wine tour, participants walk around to different farms trying various dishes and legendary zippy asparagus schnapps.
Why Germans love asparagus more than any other food
As with most food-related things, the why is (and probably will always remain) a mystery. Some people just love the taste or that the vegetable’s appearance reminds them of sunshine and the year’s first harvest. For most people, asparagus is all about nostalgia—it reminds them of their time as a child when they peeled, cooked, and finally ate asparagus with their family.
The article is taken from The Culture Trip
