This afternoon while making a sample of a class project I dug through the “Lost Crayon” bucket looking for a green. I found one with what looked to have the normal green wrapping and began coloring with it. Much to my surprise it wasn’t the regular “green” that is standard in a Crayola box of 16.
After rolling the crayon around in my hand I found the name – asparagus. Asparagus!?!?! Personally, I like asparagus, but isn’t it interesting that, essentially, a toy marketed to kids would have the name “asparagus”. I can see macaroni and cheese or cotton candy or even wild watermelon appealing to kids, but asparagus? I wonder if the crayon has inspired any young ones to start eating asparagus.
Anyhow, it’s a great color. Someone must have misplaced it out of crayons brought from home. I’ll have to find what color sets asparagus comes in and get a couple for the classroom.
Even 10 years ago -2003 jeepers- the asparagus would have been a very mans vegetable here and in the UK. But now it's got two fairly long seasons. And while still not exactly cheap, neither is it so costly that the poor cannot have it once a week.
ReplyDeleteSo telling kids a crayon was that colour would be like telling them a Date palm grown in the Saharan oasis was sunrise yellow. There would have been no reference.
But I kinda get the name for kids since 90% of the population will have really really odd smell off their pee after eating it. And kids are by nature tickled by scatological references.
As to whether I like it, it's green and that's the background colour for me.
It should have read 'very rich mans veg'.
ReplyDeleteI, too, was surprised by the '93 issue date. It doesn't seem like a food or color that I would associate with the 90s at all. In fact, back then I wouldn't have touched it with a ten foot pole. Up until the last ten years or so my only frame of reference for asparagus was the canned stuff my grandmother ate and loved. Asparagus, if over cooked or boiled, is not appetizing in the least. Now, grilling or roasting, it's SO much better and, as you said, available fresh much of the year.
DeleteThe smelly pee "novelty" would be a selling point for little kids, the boys anyway. I think I might be in the 10% as I've never, thankfully, noticed a difference. :)
I always use to buy asparagus for Easter Dinner. I try to fix a bunch in the Spring, but it is usually to expensive to purchase regularly.
ReplyDeleteWhen it's in season here it's not terribly pricey. I roast it with garlic, olive oil, and season with salt. Many a dinner I have prepared it for a side dish and ended up just standing over the pan and eating as dinner.
DeleteI recognize that project!
ReplyDelete