Wild garlic (Latin name Allium ursinum) is also often called wild garlic. Other names for bear’s garlic can be found under Wild Leek, Forest Garlic, Witch’s Onion, and a number of other names commonly used in different regions.
Occurrence and cultivation of wild garlic
In the leaves of wild garlic, you can find a large number of sulfur compounds, as well as magnesium, manganese, usable iron compounds and other substances. The distribution area of wild garlic is in almost every country in Europe and in northern Asia. It thrives mainly in shady riparian forests, floodplains and on wooded slopes that are not exposed to direct sunlight. Wild garlic is actually related to garlic, chives and onions. Its flavor is also similar to garlic, but not as intense as the latter, while also somewhat reminiscent of chives. In the case of wild garlic, which mainly prefers nutrient-rich soil, only the leaves are used. These are about 3-5cm wide, elongated and intensely green in color. Wild garlic shows an extensive and dense growth and is mainly found in beech forests. However, it can also be found in mixed forests with maple, oak, ash or elm. It also grows excellently in gardens in shady areas. Its leaves emerge from the ground at the end of February to the end of April. The growing season extends until it blooms in late May to early June, when it is finished. Like many plants, wild garlic should only be collected as long as it has not yet bloomed, because beyond that point it loses its aroma and flavor. It is preferable to harvest it in the early morning or after a downpour. But caution is advised here: There is often a risk of confusion with the leaves of the lily of the valley for the layman. Also, the uninformed collector can sometimes mistakenly mistake the sprouting leaves of the meadow saffron for wild garlic. However, the smell of wild garlic is intense enough so that the olfactory test does not actually allow this confusion. Nevertheless, it should be known that both other plants are highly poisonous and their consumption can also be fatal.
Application and use
The wild garlic is used raw if possible. If you heat it, it loses flavor and aroma. In addition to eating it raw on buttered bread and as a finely chopped ingredient in salads, there is also the possibility of preparing a delicious soup from wild garlic or mixing it, finely chopped and minced, with salted butter to make a wild garlic herb butter. In addition, there are several ways to preserve wild garlic. With olive oil and pine nuts, you can process it into a thick mass using a blender. Add a little salt and you have a wild garlic pesto that can be stored in a well-sealed jar in the refrigerator for several weeks. Connoisseurs add grated cheese to this pesto, but this can reduce the shelf life. Add wild garlic cut into wide strips to olive oil and store in a dark place at room temperature for about three weeks, then filter the oil through a cloth or other filtering medium and bottle in dark bottles to obtain an aromatic oil. This will keep for up to 2 months if stored in a cool, dark place, and much longer in the refrigerator. It is also said to have received its name from the Germanic tribes, who believed that there were soul animals such as the bear, which with its power and strength brings the power of winter to its knees and brings forth new life, and that these soul animals also show themselves in certain plants, through the consumption of which one assimilates the strength of the animal.
Significance for health, treatment and prevention
Wild garlic is said to have many properties and active ingredients that can have beneficial effects on human health. A large number of sulfur compounds are found in wild garlic leaves, as well as magnesium, manganese, usable iron compounds and other substances. Higher concentrations of sulfur-active compounds have been measured in wild garlic than in garlic. The Romans, Celts and Germanic tribes should already have known it as a spice and medicinal plant. The oils it contains and its vitamin C content are said to help against indigestion and loss of appetite and to be an effective remedy for flatulence and diarrhea.In addition, wild garlic is believed to have an ameliorating effect on arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure and, just like garlic, it is said to have the properties of a plant antibiotic, although this has not yet been completely proven.
