Aleek is a biennialvegetable, acultivar ofAllium ampeloprasum, the broadleaf wild leek (syn.Allium porrum). The edible part of the plant is a bundle ofleaf sheaths that is sometimes colloquially called a "stem" or "stalk".
Historically, manyscientific names were used for leeks, but they are now all treated as cultivars ofA. ampeloprasum.[5] The nameleek developed from theOld English wordlēac, from which the modern English name forgarlic also derives.[6]Lēac means 'onion' in Old English and has cognates in otherGermanic languages: Danishløg 'onion', Icelandiclaukur 'onion', Norwegianløk 'onion', Swedishlök 'onion',[7] GermanLauch 'leek', Dutchlook 'Allium (any plant of this genus)'.
Leeks must be grown in soil that is loose and drained well; they can be grown in the same regions where onions can be grown.[8] Leeks may be seeded directly, but are more typically sown at high density in seed-beds before being transplanted into the field. This happens at 12 weeks, when they have reached the thickness of a pencil.[9]
The optimum temperature for growth is around 20 °C (68 °F). Leeks are more cold-tolerant than other cultivatedAllium species and can be produced year-round in Europe. They tolerate standing in the field for an extended harvest, which takes place up to 6 months from planting.[10]
Leeks suffer from insect pests, including thethrips speciesThrips tabaci and theleek moth.[11][12] Leeks are also susceptible to leek rust (Puccinia allii).[8] Damage from thrips is greatest when under water stress in hot, dry weather. In these conditions, insect reproduction occurs quickly while plant growth is slowed. Thrips can be controlled by chemical pesticides and by intercropping with legumes or other plants.[9]
Leekcultivars may be treated as a singlecultivar group, e.g., asA. ampeloprasum 'Leek Group'.[13] The cultivars can be subdivided in several ways, but the most common types are "summer leeks", intended for harvest in the season when planted, and overwintering leeks, meant to be harvested in the spring of the year following planting. Summer leek types are generally smaller than overwintering types; overwintering types are generally more strongly flavored. Cultivars include 'King Richard' and 'Tadorna Blue'.[citation needed]
Leeks have a mild, onion-like taste. In its raw state, the vegetable is crunchy and firm. The edible portions of the leek are the white base of the leaves (above the roots and stem base), the light green parts, and to a lesser extent, the dark green parts of the leaves. The dark green portion is usually discarded because it has a tough texture, but it can be sautéed or more commonly added to stock for flavor.[14] A few leaves are sometimes tied with twine and other herbs to form abouquet garni.
Leeks are typically chopped into slices 5–10 mm thick. The slices tend to fall apart due to the layered structure of the leek. The different ways of preparing the vegetable are:
Boiling turns it soft and mild in taste. Whole boiled leeks, served cold withvinaigrette, are popular in France,[15] where leeks are nicknamedasperges du pauvre 'poor man's asparagus'.
Frying leaves it crunchier and preserves the taste.
Raw leeks can be used insalads, doing especially well when they are the prime ingredient.
InTurkish cuisine, leeks are chopped into thick slices, then boiled and separated into leaves, and finally filled with a filling usually containing rice, herbs (generally parsley and dill), onion, and black pepper. Forsarma witholive oil,[16] currants, pine nuts, and cinnamon are added, and forsarma with meat,[17] minced meat is added to the filling. In Turkey, especiallyzeytinyağlı pırasa (leek with olive oil),ekşili pırasa (sour leek),etli pırasa (leek with meat),pırasa musakka (leekmusakka),pırasalı börek (börek with leek), andpırasa köftesi (leek meatballs) are also cooked.
Because of their symbolism inWales (see below), they have come to be used extensively in that country's cuisine. Elsewhere in Britain, leeks have come back in favor only in the last 50 years,[timeframe?] having been overlooked for several centuries.[19]
TheHebrew Bible talks ofחציר, identified by commentators as leek, and says it is abundant in Egypt.[20][full citation needed] Dried specimens from archaeological sites inancient Egypt, as well as wall carvings and drawings, indicate that the leek was a part of the Egyptian diet from at least the second millenniumBCE. Texts also show that it was grown inMesopotamia from the beginning of the second-millennium BCE.[21]
Leeks (porrum) were eaten inancient Rome and regarded as superior togarlic andonions.[22] The 1st century CE cookbookApicius contains four recipes involving leeks.[22] Raw leek was the favorite vegetable of the EmperorNero, who consumed it in soup or oil, believing it beneficial to the quality of his voice.[23][dubious –discuss] This earned him the nickname "Porrophagus" or "Leek Eater".[22]
The leek (Welsh:cenhinen) has been known to be a symbol of Wales for a long time;Shakespeare, for example, refers to the custom of wearing a leek as an "ancient tradition" inHenry V (c. 1599). In the play,Henry V tells the Welsh officerFluellen that he, too, is wearing a leek "for I am Welsh, you know, good countryman." The 1985 and 1990British one pound coins bear the design of a leek in a coronet, representing Wales. One version of the 2013 British one pound coin shows a leek with a daffodil.
Alongside the other national floral emblems of countries currently and formerly in the Commonwealth or part of the United Kingdom (including the EnglishTudor Rose, Scottishthistle, Irishshamrock, Canadianmaple leaf, Australianwattle, New Zealandsilver fern, andIndian lotus), the Welsh leek appeared on thecoronation gown of Elizabeth II. Norman Hartnell designed it; when Hartnell asked if he could exchange the leek for the more aesthetically pleasing Welsh daffodil, he was told no.[26]
Perhaps the most visible use of the leek, however, is as the cap badge of theWelsh Guards, a battalion within theHousehold Division of the British Army.[27]
In Romania, the leek is also widely considered a symbol ofOltenia, a historical region in the country's southwestern part.[28]
^Theunissen, J.; Legutowska, H. (1991). "Thrips tabaciLindeman (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) in leek: symptoms, distribution and population estimates".Journal of Applied Entomology.112 (1–5):163–170.doi:10.1111/j.1439-0418.1991.tb01042.x.ISSN0931-2048.S2CID83916407.
^Glantz,Animal and plant life in the Torah, חי וצומח בתורה, p. 204
^Zohary, Daniel; Hopf, Maria; Weiss, Ehud (2012).Domestication of plants in the Old World: the origin and spread of domesticated plants in Southwest Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean Basin (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 195.ISBN9780199549061.
^abcSanderson, Helen; Renfrew, Jane M. (2005). Prance, Ghillean; Nesbitt, Mark (eds.).The Cultural History of Plants. Routledge. p. 121.ISBN0415927463.
^Pliny The Elder.Natural History. Book XIX, N° 33. Retrieved19 September 2023.It may also be suitable to mention the leek in this family of plants, especially as importance has recently been given to the chive by the emperor Nero, who on certain fixed days of every month always ate chives preserved in oil, and nothing else, not even bread, for the sake of his voice.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
