Wild Garlic / Ramsons – Allium ursinum also known as buckrams, wild garlic, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, bear leek, and bear’s garlic — is a wild relative of chives native to Europe and Asia.
Allium ursinum, ramsons, grow in deciduous woodlands with moist soils and around river banks, preferring slightly acidic conditions. The white star-shaped flowers appear from the end of March before deciduous trees leaf in the spring, filling the air with their characteristic garlic-like scent. The stem is triangular in shape and the leaves are similar to those of the lily of the valley. It is particularly abundant in the damper western areas.
Like other alliums it can be used in cooking. Stuff the leaves to make dolamades, or add to soups and sauces. It has a milder flavour than the usual garlic cloves.
