Episode 17: Villainous Voice Overs & A Life-Saving Accessory - Leeks

Apr 26

Hello, and welcome to another episode of Rooted! This week we are covering another iconic symbol from the UK, a slightly stinky but very tasty staple- the Leek!

Leeks, or Allium ampeloprasum characterized by their thick and layered leaves, deep green color , onion-y smell, and impressive cold torrance. They are members of the Amaryllis family, with cousins like snowdrops and daffodils. They also belong to the Allium genus, with onions, garlic, and chives!

With so many varieties of leek, we haven’t been able to pinpoint just one place they are native to! Obviously they were vitally important in wales and other parts of the UK, but here in north america we have wild ramps, and we also know that some species of leek were natively grown in egypt, with records also showing them in rome and greece!

Leeks are clearly well-traveled, which also makes them a little less fussy than some other plants.

As a general rule, they prefer soil that is loose and well draining, and do best in an area that is actually slightly trenched in a garden. They are usually planted as an autumn crop, but can be left in the ground through winter due to their ability to tolerate the cold.

Leeks have become a staple in many dishes, especially in colder months, and are pretty easy to find in pretty much any grocery store! But how did they become so popular? And how have we used them through history?

In ancient rome- emperor Nemo LOVED leeks, so much so that he used to eat them in a broth or raw dipped in olive oil every day! He believed they were good for his voice, so he ate them ALL the time- to the point where he earned the nickname leek eater, which sounds like a kind of badass super villain if you ask me…..and you just KNOW his menacing monologues are good because he has the vocal cords of a GOD from all those leeks….to my fellow podcasters, I think we need to start a motion to make leeks to podcasting what spinach is to body builders….thank you for coming to my ted talk.

But they aren't just good for your throat!

In Egypt they were a prized crop that added a lot of flavor and variety to dishes! We actually found some dried samples of them in a dig site, which is how we know they were so prevalent…that AND there are some records of them in hieroglyphs and cave paintings at the time!

Apparently much like the onion, leeks were used to symbolize the universe due to the numerous layers they had, each one symbolizing a different realm of existence.

Meanwhile on the other side of the world, the people of whales used leeks not just in food, but also as a symbol of unity- which they still do to this day!

The story goes that during a battle against the saxons in the 6th century. Apparently, this battle was specifically fought in a leek field, which honestly feels a little bit rude all things considered…like, you HAD to fight in someone’s garden? There was NO WHERE else this could have happened?

Apparently not. They had a knock down- drag out fight in a place where the air was thick with the smell of onions and dashed hopes and dreams for whoever planted all those leeks.

As you might imagine, in the heat of the moment it can be easy to lose track of who’s on your side, so the welshmen decided they would pick some leeks and wear them- you know, so they could not shoot their friends- a pretty smart move, and a great fashion choice if you ask me.

Now on Every March 1st, people will wear Leeks or Daffodils to honor St. David, since he only ate leeks while fasting! We dove more into who St. David was in the daffodil episode, so be sure to check that one out if you want more info on that tradition!

BUT, Leeks aren’t ONLY worn on March 1st!

For any of you royal family fans out there- The leek was Also on the ICONIC 1953 coronation gown of Elizabeth the II,which is AMAZING. Apparently the guy who designed it (Norman Hartnell) asked if we could do a daffodil instead because he thought it was prettier, and she shut him DOWN. So, it was a leek embroidered on there with a bunch of other flowers from the different nations that the UK has a relationship with. I just love that she insisted on the leek, and now I kind of want to embroider leeks on all MY clothing just for fun..should we make a leek patch as merch?! Let me know, I would love an excuse to research and design that..

Okay- besides being the fanciest fashion accessory, they were also obviously an important staple in every day life!

In food, leeks have always been a staple in cold winters, as they can actually take a hard freeze and be totally fine! This is because they contain sulfuric oil, which essentially protects it from fully freezing and going all mushy- sort of like snowdrops if you remember those guys!

As an aside- the reason other plants get all mushy and weird when they freeze is because their cells essentially explode and shrivel, which is really sad and a little gross.

ANYWAY- Leeks don’t get all weird and mushy, which is great news because they are an AMAZING source of Vitamins—A, B, and C, E—as well as minerals like zinc, manganese, and selenium, which can be SUPER challenging to find in the winter, when most other sources of that aren’t growing, and won't be for MONTHS…luckily now we have grocery stores which make finding minerals and stuff pretty easy in the off season, but before then leeks were kind of the all-star of all winter dishes.

Speaking of flavor all-stars, did you know that Elephant garlic is actually a leek? That’s right, big garlic has pulled one over on all of us- literally. I wasn’t expecting to find such heated discourse on this, but apparently some food bloggers felt VERY lied to, betrayed, and passionate that we all needed to know, so I am using my platform to inform ALL of us that they are not actually garlic….but they are still tasty, so I personally don’t really care that much about the name.

I really wanted to find the gnarliest, most jello-laden 1950’s recipe with leeks in it to share with you guys, because I LOVE weird old cookbooks like that, but then I stumbled upon something WAY more interesting- an old take on a swiss Rösti .

Rösti is a swiss dish made with scalloped potatoes, bacon, white wine, and cheese! In this specific dish, they added leeks, carrots , and Caraway seeds. It’s pretty popular for obvious reasons (who doesn't love cheese and potatoes?), but the thing that makes it interesting ISN'T the flavor profile (though it sounds pretty darn delightful)

It’s ACTUALLY the chemistry at play here! See, one thing about leeks is that they make you smell pretty stinky- especially your farts. BUT when you pair them with caraway seeds, the seeds actually cancel this out!

Now, I am not hank green, but here is my BEST ATTEMPT to explain the chemical process that’s going down here- Caraway oil has carmantive properties due to the higher concentration of carvone they contain. Corvone is a monoterpene ketone that help our digestive systems by essentially stopping it from spasming, which is ultimately what causes us to expel gas, if you catch my drift..

But on top of just making it so you don't toot, caraway seeds are also said to help settle stomachs, especially when paired with peppermint or spearmint oil!

So next time you are a little worried that a meal might be a little tough on your gut- consider adding a sprinkle of caraway! We will do a full episode on Caraway soon, so keep your eyes peeled if you want to learn more!

Back to leeks- in medicine, leeks are often used to cure sore throats. This is because they contain a lot of really great vitamins and minerals, and just like other alliums, have a lot of antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti inflammatory properties.

The leaves were also often applied topically to things like bug bites, skin lesions, and hemorrhoids. This was effective for the same reasons that leeks help to treat sore throats! A 2015 clinical trial did show that using a cream with leek oil was as effective for treating hemorrhoids as a standard antihemorroidal cream- though more research is needed to confirm this.

While we still have a lot to learn about how leeks help our bodies, one thing is sure- we have always loved leeks! Whether as a tasty addition to a meal, a fancy fashion statement, or a catch all cure, we have relied on this plant for centuries, and still do to this day.

Next time you use leek in a dish, I hope you’ll remember that this scrumptious specimen can do so much more than add flavor. And if we ever do make a leek patch, I hope you’ll join me in rocking it every chance you get.

Sources

http://www.plant-lore.com/plantofthemonth/welsh-leeks/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leek

https://publicism.info/gardening/curious/16.html

https://walesguidebook.com/about-wales/emblems/leek-as-a-symbol-of-wales/

https://www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-food-in-switzerland

https://www.theoriginaldish.com/2023/03/17/irish-scalloped-potatoes-with-cabbage-cheddar/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34885755/

https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7869293/8-foods-to-help-soothe-a-sore-throat/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34885755/