Will the ‘royal vegetables’ hype soon be a thing of the past? After years, the consumption of asparagus in Germany decreased. So did the domestic harvest, reaching its lowest level in a decade. Does “white gold” no longer shine in Germany?

Young people don’t care…

In a survey by the YouGov Institute on behalf of the German news agency dpa, there are signs that the great love for asparagus in Germany may gradually disappear, as the younger generation prefers it less compared to older consumers. Asparagus growers understand the skepticism of young people. President of the Bjelitz Asparagus Association, Jürgen Jakobs, states that “there are many elderly people who look forward to the asparagus season every spring, clean it themselves, prepare it with love and celebrate eating it. Asparagus has an aura of celebration about it,” says Jacobs.

But on the other hand, there are people, especially younger people, who find eating asparagus too time-consuming and often treat it with some indifference. Not many are enamored with pre-peeled asparagus either, although it saves you “the horror of peeling asparagus for 20 minutes,” Jacobs jokes. The asparagus growing area in Bielitz, Brandenburg, near Berlin, is one of the most famous in Germany.

Crops are declining

According to Jacobs, the cultivated area in Beelitz will decrease even more. At the moment it is about 1,500 hectares, while around 2020 it had even reached 2,000 hectares. “There was an overall decline in asparagus consumption in 2022 – both domestic and imported asparagus. This may be due to the limited purchasing power due to the war in Ukraine but also to the intensifying concern due to the inflation crisis,” Jacobs estimates. “People will continue to buy potatoes, milk and butter, but they may cut back on asparagus, which tends to become a luxury.”

In the meantime, decisions are expected soon on whether asparagus cultivation in Germany will remain as it has been for some time. “We’re not kidding ourselves: the high demand for white asparagus is a central European phenomenon, in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Even the Dutch eat only one-sixth of what the average German eats,” notes Jacobs. The question is whether the trend will change in Germany as well. “Many immigrants are only familiar with green asparagus, which is less seasonal and easier to prepare.”

The consumption of green asparagus is increasing

In the past, green asparagus made up only 5-10% of the market, but now it is almost 20%. “Green asparagus has the great advantage of not needing to be peeled,” says Gunter Hirschfelder, a professor at the University of Regensburg, who also notes that white asparagus does not fit in with current dietary trends. “People under 30 tend to have different ways of eating, such as all-in-one meals.” It is important that the food is “handy”, he observes. “It should be fast, maybe even “to go”, meaning it can be eaten on the go, and above all easy to eat, even without a lot of cutlery. In contrast, asparagus, which is difficult to prepare, is unwieldy and not convenient for someone who wants to play with their cell phone while eating.”

The former reputation of asparagus as a white, clean luxury vegetable, as it existed in the 1980s for example, has also disappeared. Today, asparagus is the subject of heated debates about working conditions. “Images of people being bussed and then crouching down to pick asparagus in German fields have damaged the image of the vegetable, which is becoming a symbol, especially among young people, of social inequality.”

German producers are fighting back

However, German producers are resisting, declaring May 5th “German Asparagus Day” with a “world premiere” character. A press release states that customers will be able to get some free asparagus or a peeler with the slogan “Sharp on asparagus” – or even one of the postcards touting the benefits of German asparagus, with apt slogans like “unique of its kind’, ‘Top quality on and off the shelf’ or ‘Better the local hero than an international player’.

The asparagus season lasts about twelve weeks, starting in the spring. According to research by the YouGov Institute, only 47% of young people between the ages of 18 and 24 say they like asparagus. For those over 55, on the other hand, the percentage reaches 74%. 1/3 of adults, however, consider that the hype around white asparagus is excessive, while 1/5 declare that they don’t like them.