As of: March 13, 2024, 3:09 p.m
By: Joana Lück
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The asparagus season in Germany runs from the end of April to the end of June.
Is it a good idea to buy imported goods from the supermarket?
Hardly any other vegetable is as associated with spring as asparagus.
If you don't want to use asparagus from a jar, you're often tempted to put the spears in your shopping cart now.
Even though it is actually a seasonal vegetable, the delicious sticks can be found more and more often in the supermarket from February or even all year round.
We explain what this product is all about.
Imported goods perform poorly
Asparagus is no longer only available in the supermarket in spring.
© Kelly Johnson/Imago
Whether classic with melted butter or with hollandaise sauce – the Germans love asparagus.
Green asparagus also adds that certain something to many Italian or Asian dishes, and this variety does not need to be peeled.
From the end of April to St. John's Day (June 24th) is the official asparagus season.
At least when it comes to fresh asparagus from Germany.
The climate in this country does not allow much earlier cultivation, as asparagus needs sandy soil and lots of sun to grow.
You should keep the following in mind if you want to buy asparagus now:
The asparagus that is available in supermarkets in this country in March usually comes from Spain or Greece.
But there are also goods that are imported even further.
This means that the vegetables either have to travel long distances to get to Germany.
Or you have to heat the fields if you want it to grow in this country in early spring.
The poles from abroad are often contaminated with more pesticides.
Imports from Peru in particular are sometimes considered harmful to health, warns the
Westfälischer Anzeiger
.
Excessive cadmium levels were found in several samples of this vegetable.
The heavy metal is toxic and is considered carcinogenic.
Imported asparagus is often a cheaper, although not healthier, alternative to domestic asparagus, even during the asparagus season in Germany.
You can find even more exciting garden topics in the regular newsletter from our partner 24garten.de.
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So you should be aware that you are not exactly acting sustainably by consuming asparagus before the official start of the season.
As Herbert Barthel from the Association for Nature Conservation in Bavaria explained to the
Augsburger Allgemeine
, it is better to wait until April to buy and then choose regional goods.