The leek (Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum (L.) J. Gay) is a
vegetable belonging, with onion and garlic, to the Alliaceae, the
onion family. Also in this species are two very different
vegetables: The elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum var.
ampeloprasum) grown for its bulbs, and kurrat which is grown for its
leaves in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East. The leek is also
sometimes classified as Allium porrum (L.)
Rather than forming a tight bulb such as the onion, the leek
produces a long cylinder of bundled leaf sheaths which are generally
blanched by pushing soil around them (trenching).
The edible portions are the white onion base and light green stalk.
They are an essential ingredient of cock-a-leekie soup and of
vichyssoise. They can also be used raw in salads, doing especially
well when they aare the prime ingredient.generally more strongly
flavored.
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