# Hosting dinner for 100 people? Don't serve asparagus. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 23, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459 "2014-06-23T17:08:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/1 "2014-06-23T17:08:18Z")
Mundane and pointless: I attended a large group dinner recently at which asparagus was served. By the end of the nght, the men’s bathroom smelled exactly like you would expect it to smell after 50 asparagus-eating men had used it repeatedly; I expect the women’s bathroom presented a similar bouquet. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/2 "2014-06-23T17:10:17Z")
Vile weed. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/3 "2014-06-23T17:17:01Z")
I’m with **Chef**. Just gross, as if it’s tall okra. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/4 "2014-06-23T17:20:31Z")
I don’t notice a different urine smell after eating asparagus. And, it’s one of my favorites. Just pee when you get home if it’s a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/5 "2014-06-23T17:26:27Z")
Some folks are genetically predisposed to either not smell, or not produce, the asparagus odor. Either way, I’m not holding my pee as a result of my host’s choice of vegetable. I’ll hold my breath while I’m in the john, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/6 "2014-06-23T18:12:56Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I don’t notice a different urine smell after eating asparagus. Wish I could say the same. Amazing how fast it hits, too. I’ve been meaning to try an experiment where I urinate into a cup while chewing the first bite of asparagus, just to confirm the immediacy. I even wonder if it might take effect before ingestion. _Aspáragos proteros_. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/7 "2014-06-23T18:16:14Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Wish I could say the same. Amazing how fast it hits, too. I’ve been meaning to try an experiment where I urinate into a cup while chewing the first bite of asparagus, just to confirm the immediacy. > > I even wonder if it might take effect before ingestion. _Aspáragos proteros_. I was going to say, does it really hit that fast? I mean, it takes beets a good several hours (4+) before they show up in my stream. But it sounds from you like it does. I’ve never noticed this asparagus odor, so I wouldn’t know for myself. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/8 "2014-06-23T18:21:19Z")
It takes no more than 30 minutes for me. It might be faster but I have to monitor. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/9 "2014-06-23T18:21:49Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I was going to say, does it really hit that fast? Yup. Half an hour is enough. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/10 "2014-06-23T18:24:08Z")
I’ve smelled the effect in my own “output” way quicker than 30 minutes. Less than 15, certainly. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/11 "2014-06-23T18:34:00Z")
I must be one of the people predisposed not to smell it. Either that, or I come from a family predisposed not to make the smell, because I don’t know what the smell is. Usually I’m the one complaining about smells and tastes: I can taste that bitter taste that some people can’t, and I’m hypersensitive to capsaicin. I deserve to miss out on at least one unpleasantness. As far as the men’s room stinking vs. the women’s room, though, I’ll bet the women’s room smelled better, and the reason is probably because women almost always flush after peeing, but few men, it’s been my experience, flush urinals. The few times I’ve used men’s rooms, they’ve smelled like stale urine. Women’s rooms just don’t smell as bad. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/12 "2014-06-23T18:35:50Z")
Agreed that it doesn’t take very long for me between eating asparagus and smelling it in my pee. Here’s the weird thing though - I only smell it the first time I pee after eating asparagus. It’s not something I have to put up with all night long. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/13 "2014-06-23T18:58:33Z")
Also a smeller, and I don’t care. I adore asparagus and will happily take anybodies asparagus if they are too sissy to have asparagus pee. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/14 "2014-06-23T20:55:53Z")
I like asparagus so much I planted a bunch of it this year. And it’s [very nutritious](http://www.asparagus.org/maab/nutrition.html) as well as delicious. But yeah. Makes my pee smell funky and go bright yellow within an hour or two. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/15 "2014-06-23T22:26:19Z")
Soo, what colour would my pee turn if I binged on pickled beets and asparagus? Hmm, perhaps I will experiment. I hypothesize a lovely shade of international orange… ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/16 "2014-06-23T23:22:26Z")
As my username might suggest, I am a baker, professionally. Sometimes, when cakes are decorated, people want black decoration. It may be school colors, an “old person’s” birthday cake, or something similar. Anyway, the black paste used to color the frosting is not actually _black_, but a blue so dark it looks black to the ordinary eye. Eat some of that, and perhaps an hour later, the next time you pee, well, blue and yellow make **green**. It can be quite startling if you are not expecting it. ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/17 "2014-06-23T23:47:45Z")
I have not noticed an issue with asparagus, but I do with shrimp. Over Christmas we visited the folks down in NOLA and I binged on like 4 pounds of boiled shrimp from the shack down the street. Smelly pee for three days…I was mortified worrying that I smelled like it in general. It was worth it, though…yummy. Anyone else have that happen with shrimp? ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/18 "2014-07-01T00:59:05Z")
Green _pee_ from food coloring, **Baker**? Huh - that’s a new one on me; I’ve heard of green _poo_ from the same thing (like when I’ve had a binge of cheap licorice; better stuff doesn’t do it for some reason). Re asparagus: I’m one of the “blessed” with that. Certainly within an hour, probably less, and the effect lasts at least 12 hours. Here’s the thing though: I’m pretty sure it’s [Unca Cecil’s fault](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/577/why-does-asparagus-make-your-pee-smell-funny). I never noticed the issue prior to reading that column. Then again, I can’t say as I’d ever made any particular effort to smell the output… ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/19 "2014-07-01T01:50:56Z")
I was just reading up on this a few days ago when I had offensive odors happening. I don’t think there’s been a conclusive study done, but the general conclusion was that everyone makes the smelly urine, but only a certain percentage of the population can smell it. If I cook up and eat a bunch the size they bundle at the store, it’s like something died in the bathroom! I try to limit consumption, not too much at a time, because of that. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hosting-dinner-for-100-people-dont-serve-asparagus/691459/20 "2014-07-01T06:15:53Z")
I couldn’t _afford_ to provide asparagus for 100. That stuff is around $4/lb around here! I love the shit, but have to wait till it goes on sale. I’m trying to grow it, but with not too much success. And I pee outside a lot, so who cares?