Your Perfect Asparagus?

You might say that anything relating to food is inherently a matter of taste, and we wouldn’t disagree. However, in many cases, attitudes to food seem to be built on starkly divergent opinions and the debates that are sparked by particular food products, dishes or ingredients.

A perfect example of this is Marmite: a British yeast extract that is either a putrid black slime, according to its naysayers, or the country’s greatest contribution to world cuisine since, ahem, the sandwich – in the opinion of its proponents. (The latter, of course, being the correct answer, we’re reliably informed.)

In other cases, opposing opinions are often heard around specific dishes and delicacies across the globe, whether natto, feijoada, changua or, whisper it, even the near-sacred Southern staple of pecan pie. A further category of culinary debate focuses on specific produce and ingredients, with one curious foodie’s exciting discovery immediately being rejected as the nutritional nemesis of another…

All these categories and more will be the subject of our new occasional series Slice And Dice, as we help you discover the true flavours, foods and even varieties guaranteed to tantalise your tastebuds. First up? Asparagus.