Grades of asparagus

My mother, who grew up in the defunct town of Ellenton (taken over by Federal Government for what everyone called the “Bomb Plant”) was like all people in the asparagus belt – Barnwell, Aiken, and surrounding counties with somewhat sandy soils overlying clay – relying on the culls of asparagus grown to be shipped to northern cities as their staple vegetable for several months each spring. The most expensive asparagus were the largest – the grades began with choice, then fancy, colossal, and super colossal and what her family most often had were the small asparagus which she continued to prefer. When I was first offered huge, fat asparagus, I demurred but after tasting them quickly converted to a super colossal fan. Since they are picked every day, large asparagus are just as tender but come from a larger root shoot.