Leek (Allium porrum), often allium in addition, broad allium, winter allium, Borree, Welschzwiebel, common allium, Spanish allium, Aschlauch, meat allium mentioned, is a kind from the kind Allium, originating from the Mediterranean area. Leek is called in the German-speaking countries frequently simply allium and ranks among the vegetables.

Description

Leek is seized under the bulb plants (Alliaceae). It is closely related to the garden bulb and garlic, which likewise to the kind Allium belong. It does not have a bulb. The bloom conditions have a smooth shank and a langgeschn¤belte covering, which are longer than the large, spherical, bloom conditions. In the bloom conditions many hellpurpurnen blooms are located together from those after fertilization eirunde caps form. One sows it in the spring, transplants him around Johannis 24 cm far from each other and hits him in the winter in the garden quite deeply, so that the sheets bleach, or leaves it untouched in the country and covers him with straw.

Components

Leek contains Vitamin C, Vitamin K and as well as the trace elements potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese. Those anti-oxidative and antibacterially working sulfur connection Allicin, which develops from Alliin and the catalyzing enzyme Allinase, causes the intensive smell and taste of leek.

Origin

The leek is perhaps only one culture form of Allium ampeloprasum, which occurs wildly in the Mediterranean area and is cultivated as summer leek. It resembles the leek, carries red blooms, has rung started red and developed far blunter caps. She tastes more pikanter and in the Orient is particularly used.

Use

Leek becomes both and vegetable (usually winter leek) and as kitchen spice (usually summer leek) used; one can eat or together with carrots and Sellerie as spice in soups (in soup green) use it as vegetables or salad.

Culture history

Leek already is around 2100 v. Chr. admits been; the sumerische ruler Urnammu let it cultivate in the gardens of the city Ur.

Also in old Egypt leek was well-known; it is the workers, who built the pyramids, when served food.

In the antique one the leek was estimated in the entire Mediterranean area. By the Roman emperor Nero one reports, it has the leek due to the contained estimated; because of this passion Nero was called also Porrophagus (Porreefresser).

Allium was so holy in the old-Germanic ritual that it gave the name to a rune.

Probably the leek came in the Middle Ages from Italy to Central Europe. On the British islands leek is to have been used of the British king Cadwallader around 640 as registration numbers for its troops; since this time leek is a component of the coat of arms of Wales.

He is cultivated also today still mainly in the Mediterranean area and in Europe, whereby in Germany the emphasis lies in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Neighbour in the Mischkultur

Plants get along with different neighbour, those directly adjacent grow differently well:

Good neighbours

• Endivie
• Strawberry
• Chamomile
• Kohl
• Kohlrabi
• Head salad
• Carrot
• Schwarzwurzel
• Sellerie
• Tomato
• Porry

Bad neighbours

• Bean
• Peas
• Red one prays

Belletristik

A volume with narrations Arno Schmidts of 1959 has the title "roses and leek ".

See also

List of the kitchen herbs and spices

Related links

Spreading of the words allium and leek in the German linguistic area (University of Bonn)

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