🌱Hello everyone! It is that magical time of year again when wild garlic season begins. If you are a beginner forgager it is the perfect place start as it is easy to spot and very versatile in the kitchen! 🌱To get your natural culinary adventures started, I've created four recipe cards to get your started 🌱

Let me know how you get on, and enjoy your adventures 🌱

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Habitat

3. Identification

4. A Gentle Caution

5. Brief History and Tradition

6. Wild Garlic as a Functional Food?

7. Phytonutrients

8. Foraging Considerations

9. Conclusion

10. Disclaimer

11. Recipes

12. References
    

1. Introduction

Allium ursinum, commonly known as wild garlic or ramsons, is a member of the Alliaceae family, the wild ancestor of our common garlic (Allium sativum). "Ursinum" is derived from the Latin "ursus," meaning bear. There are various etymological hypotheses but it is reasonable to think that bears consume this plant. Wild garlic exhibits anti-parasitic activity and animals consume plants for medicinal value (a practice known as zoopharmacognosy). Or perhaps it simply imparts the strength of a bear... it certainly has the potential to keep the doctor away! But I digress…

1. Habitat
   

Preferring chalk or acidic soils, this native perennial thrives primarily in damp, shaded woodland. It carpets the floor of deciduous woodlands with beautiful white flowers.

The growth cycle of wild garlic complements that of the trees above. The plant obtains sufficient light in the initial growth stage under a bare canopy. As the canopy develops, it protects the plant from direct sunlight and maintains humidity. It actively grows for approximately three months, from February to May, depending on weather and location. It withers before summer arrives, with a total lifespan of 8-10 years

1. Identification
   

The most reliable way to identify wild garlic is its strong garlic-like smell. That said, it is important to be able to identify the plant too and distinguish it from lookalikes. The leaves of wild garlic are deep green and broadly lanceolate, sharpening to an apex and narrowing towards the petiole (base). Patterning shows a large main vein and further parallel veins to either side. Each stem grows directly from the ground to a height of 50cm, with two to three leaves. The distinct six-petaled flowers are arranged in an umbel-like formation

1. A Gentle Caution

Consider your foraging location. Common sense is crucial. Avoid roadsides and areas with emissions, or verges favored by dogs. Always pick leaves mindfully to avoid sickness, pain, or even death! Wild garlic often grows alongside Mercurialis perennis (Dog’s Mercury), so be cautious of rogue leaves. The newly emerging tips of wild garlic can resemble Arum maculatum (Lord’s and Ladies).

The mature leaves can resemble Convallaria majalis (Lily of the Valley). While their seasons rarely overlap, awareness is essential. The leaves of wild garlic each have their own stem and are a slightly brighter green. In comparison, the toxic counterparts are duller in color, with paired leaves from a single reddish-green stem, and the veining is also different. If any doubt remains, the flowers will be your guide!

1. Brief History and Tradition

Charred bulbs have been found in Mesolithic settlements in Denmark (10,000 BC) and medieval archaeological sites in Western Slavic regions, suggesting it was part of the hunter-gatherer diet and traditionally used for a variety of ailments. Notable mentions as a medicinal plant throughout history include Dioscorides (Greek physician, c.100 AD), King Charles the Great (800-900 AD) in his Capitulare de Villis imperialibis, and Linnaeus, who formally named the plant in the 1700s.

1. Wild Garlic as a Functional Food?

“Eat ramsons in May and all the year after the physicians may play," by C.N. French (1929) suggests a long-held belief in the health benefits of wild garlic. Science is beginning to unravel a complex interplay of bioactive compounds, including sulfur compounds, supporting traditional use for wounds, respiratory infections, and circulatory disorders.

Wild garlic extracts have demonstrated inhibitory activity against various microorganisms, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Aspergillus niger, and Candida lipolytica. Studies in hypertensive rats found that wild garlic reduced blood pressure compared to controls after 45 days, with greater reductions compared to common garlic, likely due to wild garlic's higher phenolic content.

1. Phytonutrients

Wild garlic is rich in hydroxycinnamic phenolic acids, such as ferulic, vanillic, and coumaric acids. These compounds act as potent antioxidants, protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals, potentially reducing the risk of chronic diseases. They also contribute to gut health, emphasising the crucial link between diet and overall well-being.

Wild garlic boasts an impressive profile of flavonoids. Kaempferol exhibits significant antioxidant activity. The derivatives, including glycosides, methylated forms, and sulfated forms, have varied effects and absorption rates. In vitro studies have shown that kaempferol and hesperidoside can inhibit platelet aggregation, similar to the action of Clopidogrel.

Perhaps best known are the cysteine sulfoxides, including methiin (found in various Allium species) and alliin (specifically found in garlic). These compounds are unstable and reactive, decomposing into various compounds. When garlic is crushed, alliin is converted into allicin, the key compound responsible for its characteristic pungent aroma! These cysteine-derived compounds contribute to wild garlic's antimicrobial, antioxidant activity, platelet aggregation, blood pressure regulation, and cholesterol metabolism. A complex interplay of phytonutrients!

1. Foraging Considerations

All parts of this plant are edible. The highest amounts of cysteine sulfoxides are found in the leaves before the flowering period at full ripeness; ideally, pick the leaves before flowering for the greatest goodness! Remember that it is illegal to uproot any plant growing outside of your own land, so no bulbs, please (save those for the bears!). The leaves have the most antioxidant power compared to the bulbs anyway, providing another reason not to uproot them. Given it grows abundantly where I am, I enjoy the leaves, buds, flowers, and seeds of mature plants. I personally pick 1 leaf or flower for every 10, and only as much as I will use for a meal to support the pollinators, but we all have different opinions! It's important to forage responsibly, taking only what you need and leaving plenty for wildlife and future growth.

1. Conclusion

Including local wild foods, seasonally and in moderation, can provide us with additional healthful antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant actions, and in this case, boost immunity and cardiovascular health! Spring is a great time to cleanse and repair the body after slumber, and nature knows best by providing antibacterial and digestive aids.

Stay updated for new recipes! Follow our series of recipes throughout wild garlic season for some great ideas to get you out and about and confident with using this awesome-smelling plant! Make flavorful butter, the best pesto of any kind, pickles, and fermented products! And, to be fair, I am a big fan of seasonal eating, but who wouldn’t want to preserve some of the leaves? They can be very useful during times of infection, or as a preventative measure, especially during winter months, so if you find some, simply freeze a small bunch for emergencies!

10. Disclaimer

The knowledge contained in this blog is for information and interest only. In general, it is always best to eat moderately, seasonally, locally, and organically as possible. While most foods are safe in moderation for a generally healthy person, allergies can always exist! It would be prudent, if you have a medical condition (in particular cardiovascular or blood disorder) to be cautious.

1. Recipes
   

References

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Sobolewska, D., Podolak, I., Makowska-Was, J. (2015) ‘Allium ursinum: botanical, phytochemical and pharmacological overview’. Phytochemistry Rev. 14 (1):81-97

Piyachat, S., Vassilis, K., Tanachai, P (2023) ‘The nutritional value, bioactive availability and functional properties of garlic and its related products during processing’ Frontiers in Nutrition, 10.

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Oszmianski J, Kolniak-Ostek J, Wojdyto A. (2013) Characterization and content of flavonol derivatives of Allium ursinum L. plant. J Agric Food Chem. 61:176–184.

Preuss HG, Clouatre D, Mohamadi A, et al. (2001) Wild garlic has a greater effect than regular garlic on blood pressure and blood chemistries of rats. Int Urol Nephrology 32(4):525–530.

Rietz B, Isensee H, Strobach H, et al. (1993) Cardioprotective actions of wild garlic (Allium ursinum) in ischemia and reperfusion. Mol Cell Biochemistry, 119:143–150.

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