White asparagus, often referred to as "white gold," can cost three times as much as green asparagus. During this brief period, farms in the area and restaurants around the world offer white-asparagus dishes on their menus. Chef Erwin Schröttner from Cafe Katja in New York City says white asparagus is much juicier than the green variety, and he serves his stalks freshly peeled, boiled, and smothered in hollandaise sauce with various side dishes. But because white asparagus has to be grown in a specialized way that keeps the stalk underground for longer periods of time, these meals come at a premium. Farms like Jakobs-Hof in Beelitz, Germany, work around the clock to make sure their asparagus stalks maintain their pure white color and are of the highest quality.

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Persons: Chef Erwin Schröttner Locations: Central Europe, New York City, Hof, Beelitz, Germany