Allium ursinum (wild garlic)

‘Onions’ are mentioned in the sagas as medicines, and various species of Allium were grown in Bergen's early market gardens. When Voluspå mentions 'grøn lauk' ('green onions') and 'geirlauk' ‘that stand above the grass embankment’ in the poem ‘Gudrunkvadet’ published in the 13/14^th Century collection ‘Eldre Edda’, this may refer to wild garlic. It has green, broad leaves, and the bulb itself is narrow and pointed like a spearhead (hence ‘geir-’, meaning spear). Wild garlic grows in the wild in many places in Western Norway, and it is reasonable to assume (but difficult to prove) that it was used as a substitute for garlic. They taste similar, but garlic does not thrive under our climatic conditions.

In recent times, wild garlic has seen a revival as a culinary herb. It has previously been less well regarded because of the way it affects the flavour of dairy products when eaten by livestock.

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