Asparagus

At first glance asparagus is not all that special. It's available year round. It's consistently sized and priced. It's a standard on a lot of restaurant menus, and is almost universally liked. We can identify it in the restaurant by its awkward and bulky plastic box. Most people don't understand what white asparagus is, cooks included, but it's a rare find at the local grocery. We identify asparagus as a spring harvest, but eat it year round sourced out of South America.

If this is your general opinion of asparagus please check out this quick read in the NY Times.

My opinion; I tend to make asparagus for myself only when it's a local harvest. I've worked with a lot of asparagus in my time in the restaurant, and every once in a while you get some and say, "Damn, that's tasty," but who knows what the next case will taste like. I'm finding it difficult to instill the superiority of local asparagus in my staff and patrons, I think because it is so widely available year round. Even I have a renewed appreciation for asparagus after reading the Harold Magee piece. I will keep trying.