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One Sure Sign of Spring in Catalunya — Asparagus
Stalking the Wild Asparagus
By Thomas DeVere Wolsey
There are many signs that spring is on the way. Birds sing, flowers bloom, leaves on the trees begin budding. Here in Catalunya, you may also see a cute little caterpillar on the hiking trails (known as senderos in Castellano) all linked up and on the march. Pine processionary caterpillars may look cute, but they’re little monsters. Don’t touch them or even step on them because the little hairs cause a severe rash, and whatever you do, keep your pets close.
There are other, more pleasant signs of spring. You might spot a couple walking in the forests and groves looking for asparagus. The wild kind, that is. The asparagus seems to prefer growing under trees; one person will swoop down and cut the stalk then hand it to the other. Then the walk to stalk the stalks continues. I have seen couples (it is always a couple; there must be a law) with fistfuls of wild asparagus from just one day’s walk in the woods.
There are several varieties of asparagus here on the Mediterranean coast. Not all of them are edible, though, and asparagus is not native to Spain…
