Thursday hot topic: asparagus pee!

[Jenise]

What I really want to know is which smells worst: white asparagus pee or green asparagus pee? All thoughtful opinions considered.

Jenise, Hi....

On thoughtful reflection (as you requested), it all depends on whether you eat your asparagus hot with Hollandaise sauce or cold with a fine vinaigrette.

Beyond that, and despite Captain James Kirk, this man refuses to venture further.

Best
Rogov

Whoevers pee is green with envy.

Guess I have to wait a day before I comment.

Jenise, this is the topic that you brought up a few years ago that endeared you to me. Alas, I am the only one in my family who was blessed with a nose to notice the "asparagus affect". When I mention it, which is not often, I get strange looks. As to your question - experiments are ongoing and I expect they will flow smoothly but will be repeated often until there is confidence in the results.

I guess I really need to try white asparagus!

why? did you visit the southern hemisphere recently?

[Jenise]

why? did you visit the southern hemisphere recently?

Actually, um, um, um, white asparagus was on sale in Canada the other day for $1.99/lb, so I bought two bunches and we, um, had a very healthy portion each for a starter course last night.

Maybe it was the truffle oil I used in the vinaigrette I dressed them with, but this morning I'm prepared to vote white.

[Jenise]

Jenise, this is the topic that you brought up a few years ago that endeared you to me.

You're so sweet. And I remember that we spoke at that time of the effect, but I don't believe we've ever ventured into comparing the two.

The effect of eating asparagus on the eater's urine has long been observed:
"asparagus... affects the urine with a foetid smell (especially if cut when they are white) and therefore have been suspected by some physicians as not friendly to the kidneys; when they are older, and begin to ramify, they lose this quality; but then they are not so agreeable". I have heard for a long time that asparagus is not really very good for us. Small amounts are fine, on occasion. While asparagus is available all year long, it is my choice as a spring and early summer vegetable.
Although I did see some beautiful specimens a few days ago, and they are cleaned and ready to pop into my oven tonight. A little truffle oil, salt and Romano cheese will dress them. In about thirty minutes after eating, I will wonder why I partake in such a strange odor causing veggie, but I guess one forgets about unpleasant things and only remembers the good.

Y'know, if we set this study up correctly we might have a good shot at the Journal of Irreproducible Results.....

This is America, all pees are created equal!

And there have been studies on it. In summation, everybody produces the compounds that cause the odor but only 22% can smell it. Wikipedia has a good piece on it here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus

Guess the rest of you just couldn't wait for Thursday.

[Jenise]

Guess the rest of you just couldn't wait for Thursday.

Oooh, got me. I went back to bed after posting that and got up later, and I'm STILL thinking it's Thursday. Glad it's not, I need the extra day this week.

jenise - there was some beautiful white stuff available in NJ when i was there in sept and i succumbed to its charmes as well. $1.99 is terrific! in canada they would have had to tell you where it came from - chile?

Sometimes I hesitate to eat it even though I love it. Not so much because of the forthcoming "stinky pee" as my husband calls it, but because I'll be up several times that night for trips to the bathroom. It's a serious diuretic!

This series of posts represents in detail much of what I never wanted to know.

This series of posts represents in detail much of what I never wanted to know.

Be thankful she did not ask which kind of burrito - black bean or brown bean - produces the smelliest bowel movement. But maybe that is Friday's hot topic.

I once saw one of my colleagues, a grown up professor with a Ph.D., say during a lecture that the odor is due to the amino acid Asparagine. Now, Asparagine is indeed named after asparagus, but it is in essentially every protein made by every animal and plant, so singling it out for the blame is just misguided and wrong.

It's a mercaptan, and I don't think it is bad for you in the least. Unfortunately I can smell it quite well, I would be just as happy to miss out on the experience. And -- we just got some lovely white stuff and enjoyed it, cooked, laid out on an antipasto platter for our houseguests who have spent time in Italy. We also had chunks of good parmigiano with tiny drops of my super-high quality aceto balsamico. And rounded things off with a hot bowl of Zuppa di Pane.

I would say it's pretty much a tie, between white and green.

This series of posts represents in detail much of what I never wanted to know.

I know. I resisted responding for quite some time, but finally for whatever reason, felt compelled to join in!

Guess I have to wait a day before I comment.

Wait a day? Not I.....that stuff flushes through me rapidly. As in, asparagus with the entree, visit the facilities before dessert and I can tell I had asparagus!!!

Yes, the researchers say the scent can appear in the urine in approx. 15 minutes.

Exactly how long it takes before the urine makes an appearance outside your body is a different question.

This thread is now closed. By Order of the Legion of Decency.