Wild garlic is one of the freshest herbs in spring. Thanks to its unique spicy aroma, the leafy vegetable is ideal for refining soups, sauces and salads. Unmistakable in smell and taste, wild garlic enriches spring cuisine. The trendy vegetable is available from March onwards at weekly markets or in greengrocer's stores. But if you want to collect wild garlic yourself, you should know the differences to its poisonous doppelgangers.
The origin, properties and history of wild garlic
Wild garlic is a deciduous plant and was already popular with the Germanic and Celtic peoples as a spice and medicinal plant. The leafy vegetable likes it moist and shady and therefore spreads from March in deciduous and mixed forests. Especially hobby cooks and sammer enjoy the green plant cover then. But care must be taken when collecting wild garlic, because the spring herb is very similar to the poisonous meadow saffron and lily of the valley. Even a small bite of the meadow saffron or lily of the valley is enough to cause symptoms of poisoning such as nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Therefore, it is even more important to search for wild garlic with a trained eye. Unlike the autumn crocus and the lily of the valley, whose leaves are shiny on the upper and lower side, the wild garlic has only one shiny side, the lower side of the leaves is dull. In addition, the wild garlic has only single leaves on one stem, whereas the lily of the valley has several leaves on one stem. Much less complicated in the distinction is the autumn crocus, because this has no stem.
Wild garlic has an unmistakable taste thanks to its spicy garlic aroma and thus fully lives up to its name "wild garlic". Unlike garlic, wild garlic is not so intense in the finish and also does not affect our body odor so strongly.
The ingredients of wild garlic
Wild garlic is a wonderful source of vital substances thanks to its numerous vitamins and minerals. In 100 grams of bear's garlic are among others:
- 150 mg vitamin C
- 200 µg vitamin A
- 2.87 mg iron
- 336 mg potassium
- 130 µg vitamin B1
- 200 µg vitamin B6
- 422mg chlorophyll
With 150mg of vitamin C, wild garlic not only contains three times more vitamin C than oranges, but also exceeds the daily requirement of vitamin C by 150%. In addition, the leafy vegetable is rich in essential oils, sulfur and allicin.
The effect of wild garlic on our body
Allicin is considered a natural antibiotic and can be used to treat various diseases and conditions. These include, for example, strokes, heart attacks and cancers. Wild garlic can also help with joint pain, digestive problems or high blood pressure - the leafy vegetable is a real health booster thanks to its valuable ingredients.
Wild garlic in the kitchen
Because of its spicy aroma, wild garlic is well suited as a seasoning for salads, sauces and spreads. However, you should not heat the leafy vegetables, because wild garlic quickly loses its aroma during frying, cooking and baking.
Buying and storing wild garlic
Fresh wild garlic is characterized by crisp green leaves and has no flowers, spots or discoloration. The leafy vegetable can be bought at weekly markets from April to May and should be processed as soon as possible after purchase. In the refrigerator, wild garlic can only be stored for a maximum of two days before it goes bad. But if you want to have something from the wild garlic a little longer, you can bathe the little green friend in olive oil and keep it well sealed in the refrigerator for a few months. Wild garlic can also be frozen, but the taste changes slightly.
