Where and how to buy asparagus – plus a selection of related recipes…

If you are new to Germany, you have probably already been somewhat taken aback by the passion with which the Germans celebrate asparagus.

Every year in spring, the whole country goes mad for Spargelsaison. Spargelstände pop up on every street corner, blackboards proclaiming “frischer Spargel” litter the streets and many restaurants have a special “Spargelmenü”, dedicating to dishes showcasing the vegetable.

Even the supermarkets get in on the act, with pyramids of Hollandaise sauce and pre-packed smoked ham popping up in the vegetable section and notices announcing the beginning of “Spargelzeit”.

There is considerable debate within Germany as to which region produces the best asparagus, but the generally-agreed front runners are Bruchsal, in Baden-Württemberg, or Beelitz, in Brandenburg.

I wouldn’t dare offer an opinion as to which is objectively better. But Beelitzer asparagus is the one to go for in Berlin.

Beelitz is only 50km away from Berlin and the fresh Beelitzer spargel you can buy at the special street stands is likely to have been picked only that very morning.  Seasonal workers – usually from eastern Europe – get up with the dawn to harvest the spears, pack them onto lorries and rapidly deliver to the end sales points. Many farms have their own stands dotted around Berlin, dedicated to selling their own asparagus, transported as quickly as possible from field to customer.

If you fancy a sunny spring day out of the city, you could do worse than visit “Spargelstadt” Beelitz. There is a Spargelmuseum and an annual Spargelfest. And of course, the crowning point is a visit to one of the many, many Spargelhöfe.

Like a lot of German farms, many of these places actively welcome visitors and provide additional attractions. Jakob’s Hof has a highly rated restaurant and a children’s play area; Buschmann & Winkelmann has tree-top climbing and an events calendar packed with live music and teatime dancing sessions. If you book in advance, Elsholz even promises the opportunity to learn how to harvest your own asparagus from their fields.

It’s more likely, however, that you won’t be cutting your own and it really is important to get it as fresh as possible. Asparagus has a high natural sugar content,…