Leek
Leek is a cool-season biennial vegetable in the onion family, grown for its long, blanched edible stalk made from bundled leaf sheaths.
Leek is a cool-season biennial vegetable in the onion family, grown for its long, blanched edible stalk. It has a mild onion-like flavour and is widely used in soups and stews.
What it is
Leeks are members of the onion family with flat leaves and little bulb development. The edible part is the elongated white stalk formed from overlapping leaf bases, with green leaves also edible.
How it is grown
Leeks are cool-season, frost-tolerant plants usually grown as annuals. They require a long growing season and are often blanched by mounding soil around the base to exclude light. They are well-suited to Canadian gardens.
How it is used
Leeks have a mild, sweet onion flavour and are used in soups, stews, casseroles, pies, and other cooked dishes. They can also be eaten raw in salads.
In short
- Leeks are related to onions but do not form a true bulb.
- The edible portion is the blanched stalk and green leaves.
- They are frost-tolerant and grown as annuals.
- Common in European cooking, especially soups and stews.
Leeks are widely available in Canadian grocery stores and home gardens, and Canadian horticulture sources describe them as a cool-season vegetable suitable for growing in local climates.[10][13]
Quick questions
What is a leek?
Is a leek a type of onion?
How are leeks usually cooked?
Sources
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension — https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/leeks/Supports: Scientific name, plant structure, flavour, and origin.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/plant/leekSupports: Definition, family, origin, flavour, and culinary uses.
- CABI Compendium — https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/cabicompendium.4248Supports: Cool-season habit, biennial nature, and global cultivation.
- University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture — https://www.uaex.uada.edu/publications/pdf/FSA-6070.pdfSupports: Plant morphology, edible parts, and culinary uses.
- Washington State Department of Agriculture — https://www.agr.wa.gov/departments/business-and-marketing-support/farm-to-school-toolkit/wa-grown-food-recipe-kit/foodtoolkit/items/vegetables/leeks/factsSupports: Edible portion, blanching, and nutritional notes.
- University of Minnesota Extension — https://www.extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-leeksSupports: Scientific name, growth habit, edible parts, and culinary uses.