Asparagus confuses me.

It’s not something I grew up with. By no means was it a staple in the diet of a one income family of four that “made do” with what we had in one of many patchtowns so familiar to us here in Northeast Pennsylvania.

Back then, if it was available, I’m sure my mother would’ve said it was much too expensive for a place on a table filled with vegetables and fruits we grew in our own backyard. Fresh, frozen or put up in Mason jars — as many of our vegetables were — asparagus just wasn’t something we considered.

As I aged, my palate expanded and I was lucky enough to marry someone with a special knack in culinary skills who introduced my palate to some new things.

Enter asparagus.

A few weeks ago, we were shopping at a local big-box grocery store and she noticed that a bunch of the green sprouts was $4.99 — almost double what we paid the last time.

That day, it didn’t make it into the shopping cart.

We had a choice about asparagus, but look at the price of staples such as cereal, eggs and bread. Every week the prices are higher and so is the weekly food bill.

There’s been a lot of talk about food prices when people go grocery shopping.

And we’ve heard a few new words in that conversation.

“Price gouging” and “shrinkflation” have somehow entered the local lexicon.

I think I have a handle on “shrinkflation.” I rationalize it with Tastykakes — the chocolate ones that came in a three-pack for 15 cents when I was a kid. They were well-sized, though never enough for a growing boy with a sweet tooth.

Nowadays, chocolate Tastykakes come wrapped in twos and sold in boxes of six. I’ve seen bigger shot glasses than individual cakes are now.

They’re smaller and more expensive because ingredients and labor costs more. They’re usually discounted as “two for” a price or “three for” another price to push sales.

But the manufacturer and the market set the price — not the government.

Nationally, some discussion about going after those who might be price gouging has come to the forefront.

Who’s to say what the price of cupcakes or asparagus — or anything else in a grocery store for that matter — should be?

How does the government fit in here? Will it now become the asparagus police?

Does a federal war on price gouging result in the same price for any given commodity anywhere in the nation? How is it enforced?

For all of my years consumers have pretty much guided pricing in the free market that drives our economy.

Things cost more to get them where they need to be. Simply, that cost is passed on to consumers.

It’s always been a question of supply and demand. Plenty of supply means less demand and lower prices. In short supply, the process reverses.

But stopping that process somewhere in the middle creates more problems. Suppliers who can’t raise prices when needed just don’t supply. Consumers often suffer, eventually through shortages that could impact price tags of goods and services.

I vaguely recall the price controls that President Richard Nixon imposed back in the early 1970s. If I’m correct, he ordered a freeze on prices and wages to slow down ballooning inflation.

It sounded good if you were a politician, but didn’t work in the long run.

Some states have price gouging laws in place to be used only when an emergency like a natural disaster occurs.

Some argue the nation is at that point. I disagree.

The market will correct, and prices will level closer to what the market will pay.

Until then, let’s hope this price war on groceries is only political saber rattling.

We’ll continue to look for the less expensive asparagus.

I’d hate to see shortages and more price issues on groceries, especially asparagus and maybe eggs.

I’m looking forward to a great hollandaise.

ED SOCHA | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.