Green asparagus may dominate grocery shelves, but it’s only one version of the vegetable. Many people may not realize that asparagus also comes in white and deep purple varieties, each with its own flavor, growing method, and nutritional profile.

“In food chemistry terms, the difference is really about which pigments are being produced, and that mostly comes down to genetics and light exposure during growth,” Abbey Thiel, who has a doctorate in food science, told The Epoch Times in an email.