Leek

Wild leek (Allium ampeloprasum) is a biennial herb. It is native from the Mediterranean to central Asia. Several thousand years of agricultural selection has transformed the wild leek into cultivated varieties (“cultivars”) which modern taxonomy places within three horticultural groups: (1) Porrum Group which includes leeks grown for their large, tasty stems: (2) Ampeloprasum Group which includes elephant garlic and levant garlic which are grown for mild garlic-like bulbs; and (3) Kurrat Group which includes the kurrat aka Egyptian leek.

The ancient Egyptians were fond of leeks, as were the Biblical Israelites. “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.” (Numbers 11:5). The classical Greeks used leek in both cooking and medicine. According to Dioscorides it could cure the bite of venomous beasts. Leek was a popular ingredient in Roman cooking. The Roman cookery manuscript De re coquinaria contains more than thirty recipes in which leek is a prominent ingredient.

Lore and Legend of the Culinary Herbs and Spices, Second Edition, tells us that “It was on March 1st, St. David’s Day, around the year 640 that Welshmen stuck leeks in their caps and went out to do battle with the Saxons. They won and now, almost 14 centuries later, the Welsh wear leeks on their coat lapels on March 1st, in celebration of this glorious victory.”

In Medieval Europe leek was extensively grown. It was primarily grown as a pot herb and used to flavor soups. However, Medieval dining was complicated. Every plant was an herb and every herb had medicinal properties. The humoral theory held that human health was controlled by the balance of four humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. An excess of phlegm, which was cold and wet, resulted in a phlegmatic personality which might progress to a variety of diseases such as tumors and rheumatism. The best treatment for these conditions was the liberal consumption of specific herbs that were considered to be hot and dry – such as leek.

Today we don’t have to be either Welsh or phlegmatic to celebrate the virtues of leek.

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