What type of veg would you call a leek?

MaizieD

^I'm going to put my tin hat on now but I'm with M0nica and frankly find it ridiculous that anyone could think these vegetables could be found anywhere but in with the garlic and onions!^

You and MOnica are not lone voices, NotSpaghetti Quite a few of us have pointed out the same thing.

To those who think that the bit we eat is a root, I'd suggest that they try planting one and see if it grows...

With you all the way!

I noticed last week that Tesco’s Chunky beef and vegetable soups claim to be made with ‘fresh root vegetables’ but in fact the vegetables are potato, carrot, onion and garden peas.

The people who think a leek or an onion is a root are clearly not vegetable gardeners.

I'm going to put my tin hat on now but I'm with M0nica and frankly find it ridiculous that anyone could think these vegetables could be found anywhere but in with the garlic and onions!

You and MOnica are not lone voices, NotSpaghetti Quite a few of us have pointed out the same thing.

To those who think that the bit we eat is a root, I'd suggest that they try planting one and see if it grows...

For those that care, this is from the RHS re leeks:

mildly flavoured members of the onion family, with their white stem bases (shanks) topped with a fountain of green leaves

I'm going to put my tin hat on now but I'm with M0nica and frankly find it ridiculous that anyone could think these vegetables could be found anywhere but in with the garlic and onions!

If anyone wants to see what a leek root looks like here's a photo! The roots are the hairy bits at the bottom. The leaves are the green bits at the top and the shanks are the white bit in the middle.

I daresay people in Ukraine at least would know that a leek isn't a root vegetable orly - they grow and export a lot of different alliaceous vegetables - including Leeks.

orly

Blimey! I wonder what people in Gaza or Ukraine would say!

They're unlikely to be reading any Gransnet threads, so probably nothing. If they do wish to comment, the likelihood is there'll be divided opinion just as we've already had.

Blimey! I wonder what people in Gaza or Ukraine would say!

Callistemon21

What did you make with your leek, Witzend?

Nothing yet - it’ll go into one of my substantial lentils-plus-loads-of-different-veg soups. Probably tomorrow. Out for lunch today so we won’t want much later.

They are from onion family and the roots are not eaten.

I am more concerned with the lack of staffed checkouts. I refuse to use the ones where you have to scan it all yourself. If there are no proper checkouts open I ask for one to be opened.

I also agree with MaizieD. They are part of the onion/alium family, definitely not a root veg for rotation purposes. I’ve been growing them for years too, in fact I intend pulling the last few up this week. Very tasty they are too.

What did you make with your leek, Witzend?

Who would have thought that leeks vould be so contentious 😂

MaizieD

BlueBelle

According to google ….leeks are a root vegetable so we are all wrong (eexcept a few Freya, MissA , and Gran2five)

I really don't give a **** what google says. Google is amazingly ignorant in this instance.

The bit of leeks that you eat is the blanched lower part of the leaves. They are rarely sold with their roots attached. Those of us who grow them cut the roots off before preparing the leeks for cooking.

I totally agree Maizie - from another grower of many years, I also treat them as an allium for crop rotation.

MaizieD

twiglet77

Most of the part you eat grows underground, it’s not a leaf vegetable any more than carrots with green feathery tops are!

They only grow (partially) underground because they are deliberately planted deeply so that the lower part of the leaves don't turn green.

What are those things that peel off in strips if not leaves?

You need a peeler to peel a root vegetable but not for a leek.

MaizieD

BlueBelle

According to google ….leeks are a root vegetable so we are all wrong (eexcept a few Freya, MissA , and Gran2five)

I really don't give a **** what google says. Google is amazingly ignorant in this instance.

The bit of leeks that you eat is the blanched lower part of the leaves. They are rarely sold with their roots attached. Those of us who grow them cut the roots off before preparing the leeks for cooking.

I agree!!

Google, Wikipedia etc, aren't infallible.

twiglet77

Most of the part you eat grows underground, it’s not a leaf vegetable any more than carrots with green feathery tops are!

They only grow (partially) underground because they are deliberately planted deeply so that the lower part of the leaves don't turn green.

BlueBelle

According to google ….leeks are a root vegetable so we are all wrong (eexcept a few Freya, MissA , and Gran2five)

I really don't give a **** what google says. Google is amazingly ignorant in this instance.

The bit of leeks that you eat is the blanched lower part of the leaves. They are rarely sold with their roots attached. Those of us who grow them cut the roots off before preparing the leeks for cooking.

Most of the part you eat grows underground, it’s not a leaf vegetable any more than carrots with green feathery tops are!

MissAdventure

So, it's a stem veg, or at least that's the closest description?

It's a vegetable anyway.

Unlike a courgette which is a fruit.

According to google ….leeks are a root vegetable so we are all wrong (eexcept a few Freya, MissA , and Gran2five)

My friend grows the most amazing leeks. They are allium, related to chives, garlic, onions, shallots. This delicious veg has its roots underground, and has to be pulled / dug out, so is a root vegetable,

This reminds of the time that I needed to order a Botany book at my library .
I really like the kindly assistants , but was thrown when one of them asked me ,
Is that flowers or gardening ?

Well, to be botanically correct, the part we eat in onions and leeks are the leaves, and in the case of onions, they are swollen leaf bases. They don’t have stems as such, except when they flower.
In Tesco leeks are displayed on the shelves with the green veg.

I bow to your superior knowledge MOnica 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

They are part of the allium family, yes - but that doesn't really help if the supermarket is classing them along with root veg, does it? The only thing you need to know in this particular case is where to find them on the self-scan display.