Q: What about thickness? Does it make a difference in flavor? Asparagus comes in all sizes, from slim pencil-wide stalks to big fat ones as thick as your thumb, but believe it or not, size has nothing to with age Asparagus grows from an underground crown, from which scores of stalks shoot forth It takes about three seasons for this crown to begin producing edible stalks, and after that, it’ll continue to produce stalks for at least a couple of decades It’s the age and variety of the crown that determines the thickness of a stalk A farmer can’t simply wait for a thin stalk to grow into a thicker one—that won’t happen until a few seasons later While both can be fantastic, I generally choose one size over the other depending on how I’m going to cook it (or, more likely, I choose my cooking method based on the size of asparagus I happen to pick up at the farmers’ market) • Spears about ⅓ inch thick or thinner tend to be more intense in flavor and less watery They’re also a little bit tougher and snappier, due to their higher ratio of fibrous skin to softer interior This makes them ideal for blanching and serving hot or cold, stir-frying, or even just eating raw as a snack Higher-heat methods like broiling or grilling tend to dry them out a little too much, though if you like that charred asparagus flavor, you might still consider cooking them with these ... generally choose one size over the other depending on how I’m going to cook it (or, more likely, I choose my cooking method based on the size of asparagus I happen to pick up at the farmers’ market) •... Higher-heat methods like broiling or grilling tend to dry them out a little too much, though if you like that charred asparagus flavor, you might still consider cooking them with these ... more intense in flavor and less watery They’re also a little bit tougher and snappier, due to their higher ratio of fibrous skin to softer interior This makes them ideal for blanching and serving