Asparagus boom in Germany
Ranking shows where people feast the most
The 2024 asparagus season is in full swing and the online supermarket Picnic provides the first figures of the season. After analyzing over 500,000 shopping baskets from more than 100 cities, the results are clear: demand for asparagus is growing strongly, Germany's asparagus capital is Heidelberg and the asparagus harvest is particularly tasty this year.
Record-breaking demand
Germany leads the world with an annual per capita consumption of over 1.5 kilograms of asparagus. Demand in 2024 is currently at a new high. Picnic's analysis shows: Asparagus demand has grown by +18 percent compared to the previous year. The proportion of organic products has also risen further. While less than 6% bought organic asparagus in 2020, 9% prefer organically grown asparagus this year.
But where is the most asparagus eaten? The title of Germany's asparagus capital goes to Heidelberg in 2024. In no other city do Picnic customers buy more asparagus. Last week alone, 20% of picnic customers in Heidelberg had fresh asparagus on their tables - this underlines the deep roots of asparagus culture in the region. Castrop-Rauxel and Cologne follow in second and third place.
The top 10 asparagus cities in Germany
- Heidelberg
- Castrop-Rauxel
- Cologne
- Koblenz
- Hanau
- Cottbus
- Oldenburg
- Münster
- Falkensee
- Hamburg
White asparagus remains the favorite and is traditionally eaten with ham, potatoes and hollandaise sauce - this is also reflected in the shopping baskets of Picnic customers. Interestingly, 28 percent choose ready-made hollandaise sauce. The analysis also shows that Friday is by far the most popular asparagus day - a treat for the weekend.
Asparagus particularly tasty this year
Asparagus farmers confirm the trend: "We are extremely satisfied with the great interest and sales figures this year," explains Jürgen Jakobs, owner of Jakobs-Hof Beelitz and Chairman of the Beelitz Asparagus Association. "Thanks to the mild winter, we were able to start harvesting asparagus earlier than usual." Another special feature: the asparagus can absorb minerals particularly well due to the exceptionally high moisture content in the soil. "This ensures an intense taste." The current low temperatures are not a major problem: "The asparagus has a head start on growth and can cope well with the few cooler days."
Picnic supplies asparagus from the region
"Regional fresh asparagus is a particular highlight this year," emphasizes Frederic Knaudt, co-founder of Picnic Germany. "We are looking forward to May, which offers plenty of opportunities for feasting thanks to its many public holidays." Picnic invites all asparagus lovers to enjoy the season and offers a wide range of products, from fresh asparagus to creative recipes for the perfect asparagus meal.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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