Featured Ingredient: Leeks
Leeks, though grand in size, are generally considered quite ordinary here in the United States. Perhaps we don’t give leeks the credit they’re due, for in Wales, they are symbolic of bravery, heroism, and national pride. Read on to learn more about why we should all reconsider the leek.
Leeks are members of the allium family, (Amaryllidaceae), and some of their close relatives include onions and garlic. The leek’s mild, floral favor makes them a lovely stand-in for onions in many recipes. It is thought they are native to the Medetaranian and were brought to the British Isles by the Roman empire, but the history is uncertain.
Another thing that’s uncertain is how leeks became the national symbol of Wales. Every March 1st on St. David’s Day, and at every rugby match abroad, the Welsh proudly display a leek symbol. Or an actual leek.
Traditionally on St. David’s Day, members of the Welsh Guard would affix a leek to their caps, like in this photo of soldiers from WWI. These days they make-do with smaller, cloth replicas, but their caps always have a little silver leek emblem fixed to the front. In the royal guard, leek patterns adorn their uniforms.
Because the true reason for the Welsh affinity for leeks has been lost in history, theories abound. It is thought the importance of leeks in Welsh culture dates back hundreds if not thousands of years. Many theorize that the affinity began before the birth of Christianity during pagan times when worshipping plants, trees, and nature was pervasive. Leeks were used medicinally, in the treatment of everything from the common cold to the pains of childbirth. They also took on mystical properties, and were used to tell the future and ward off evil spirits. One legend held that if a young woman slept with a leek under her pillow, she would see the face of her future husband in her dreams. According to the BBC, in 658 AD,
“There is a legend that says King Cadwaladr of Gwynedd once ordered his men to put leeks on their helmets to identify themselves in a battle against the Saxons - which, apparently, took place in a field full of leeks.”
It is known for certain that during the Hundred Years War, the uniforms of the soldiers of Edward were white and green in honor of the leek, as were the uniforms of the feared Welch archers.
To represent Wales in the rotating £1 coin design in the United Kingdom, £1 coins were made with Queen Elizabeth on one side and a leek on the other.
Leeks have been referred to in the context of the Welch over and over throughout history, including in Elizabethan times when in Shakespeare’s Henry V, the young king referred to wearing leeks as “ancient tradition,” and explains he is wearing one because, “I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.”
Before you pass leeks by at the farmers market, or dismiss them in a recipe, remember the Welsh reverence for this humble vegetable, and the mystical potential in each stalk.