Today’s cultivated varieties of leek are derived from the species Allium ampeloprasum which grows wild in the Mediterranean region, as well as in southern England and Persia. It was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans and is also mentioned in the Old Testament.
The outermost skin gives the bulb its colour, which varies, depending on the variety, from silvery white, white to dark brown, red and violet. It also protects the bulb from drying out and therefore should not be removed during storage.
The leek is a biennial herb, but is treated as an annual, because in the second year it flowers and dies. It need not be dug up in autumn for, as a rule, it is not damaged by frost and so can be taken fresh from the garden any time of the year. This is a great advantage, for although fresh leek tastes like the mildest of onions, it acquires an unpleasant strong taste when stored.
The Welsh onion has a swollen flowering stem growing up to 2 cm (i-in) thick and 30 to 60 cm (1 to 2 ft) tall. Being a native of southeastern Siberia it is resistant to frost and will overwititer successfully outdoors. The green parts may be used the same as chives.
Onion is a biennial that stores food in a bulb the first year and flowers the following year. The leaves and flowering stem are hollow. The large globose flower head – an umbel – is composed of numerous, greenish-white flowers on long stalks.
Onions always caused an irritant reaction when you look at it. As in other onions, the irritant action is produced by an essential oil containing organically bound sulphur.
