White Asparagus Is Everywhere!
It's asparagus season (Spargelzeit)! Throughout Germany, from mid-April to the end of June, white asparagus comes into season, and it'll be all over the place, from restaurants breaking out their asparagus menus (Spargelkarte), to grocery stores setting up small stands specifically for white asparagus inside, and sales of Hollandaise sauce skyrocketing.
White asparagus is substantially thicker than the thin green asparagus that we are used to in the U.S., with a thick hull that has to be peeled off like a carrot prior to cooking. The better quality weiße Spargel has the least amount of purple color on the top of the stalks, and will be more expensive at the grocery store.
It's used in a number of dishes, but most common are a creamy soup and in whole stalks with the aforementioned Hollandaise stalks. If you are going to cook them at home, it's worth bearing in mind that they will need to cook longer than green asparagus, as they are much more dense and firm, and will be tough or chewy if under cooked.
Many restaurants put together a seasonal menu, and if you're going to a German restaurant during Spargelzeit, it's worth trying out at least one of them if you haven't had white asparagus before. If you're not into asparagus at all, and you refuse to try it, you can always enjoy looking at the fields of them if you are driving around the countryside. Look for the fields either covered with a tarp, or with large row mounds of dirt that don't seem to have anything growing in them.