A to Z of French Herbs - Wild Garlic - Ail des Ours
Wild Garlic
Wild garlic, also known as Ail des Ours, is a deliciously fun herb to use. Its subtle garlic flavour and vibrant green leaves add a rustic, wild touch to many dishes.
However, the real magic of wild garlic lies in the tradition of "wild picking", where chefs and cooking enthusiasts set out on adventures in the woods in search of this deliciously fragrant plant. This thrilling quest to harvest wild garlic creates an unforgettable culinary experience, combining a passion for French cuisine with the joy of connecting with nature.
But beware as not all plants are the same and sometimes wild garlic resembles in the forest, fields where they’re found other not so good for you plants.
Wild Garlic in French is known as Ail Des Bois or Ail des Ours and also depending on where in France you are Ail Sauvage.
Ail des bois translates as wood garlic, Ail des Ours translates as bear garlic and finally Ail Sauvage translates as wild garlic.
Cows in Switzerland used to graze on wild garlic
Celtic tribes and ancient Romans even were familiar with wild garlic and called it herba salutaris, meaning 'healing herb'. Uses of the herb go as far back as the Middle Stone Age in an area we now know as Denmark where an impression of the wild garlic leaf has been found by archeologists.
It’s botanical name is Allium Ursinum, around the world wild garlic is often known under other names like ramsons, cowleekes, cow’s leek, cowleek, buckrams, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, bear leek, eurasian wild garlic and bear’s garlic.
The name bear garlic is said to refer to fondness of the bulbs of wild garlic to brown bears. Many European folk talkes describe bears consuming them after awakening from their hibernation.
Another animal that loves wild garlic and another reason for the name cows leek is the cow. In the UK dairy farmers would sometimes have the milk from their cows rejected because of the hint of garlic imparted into the milk of the cows that have been grazing on wild garlic.
Actually in 19th century Switzerland this garlic infused you’d say milk as very popular. I wonder if that meant you’d have garlic flavoured toblerones.
Lily of the Valley often mistaken for Wild Garlic
Wild garlic grows all over Europe, the UK and North America. It grows in moist woodland when found in the wild. It grows well it slightly acidic conditions.
The plant has white flowers and grows to between 20-50 cm in height. When the foliage withers slightly it emits a strong smell of garlic.
This wild garlic in the past had been often thought to have magical properties. It was thought that if pregnant women carried the plant in their pockets that this would protect their unborn child.
When the herb is flowering it becomes an important source of food for many pollinating insects. Its rich nectar and pollen are particularly popular with bees.
One of the main things to watch out for when harvesting in the wild the wild garlic is it also happens to look a lot like the very poisons Lily of the valley and other plants. So you do want to be careful. In April 2020 an Alsatian man in this 50’s died of intoxication after eating autumn colchique in a pesto instead of wild garlic by mistake.
Flowering Wild Garlic
In France it is cultivated and farmed for the public to consume directly through markets and also in restaurants when in season. The French even grow it at home in their own vegetable plots.
If you buy wild garlic at a market and want to keep it at home it will last only a few days and is best stored in the fridge wrapped in a damp cloth. The leaves of the plant can be frozen for use later.
All parts of the plant are edible and have culinary uses including the flowers which are often used to garnish dishes especially salads. The leaves are often chopped and used to replace garlic and other herbs in many recipes. Cutting or bruising the leaves heightens the flavour.
In the 00’s studies found that wild garlic was actually very high in vitamin C and so a boom in wild garlic was seen around the world as more and more people added them to their diets. Later and more current studies have found the wild garlic also has antibacterial properties and can also be used to treat hypertension.
Many dishes in French cuisine have wild garlic as an ingredient indulging many soups, sauces and Frances own version of pesto in lieu of basil.
“In French cuisine, a delight we behold, Wild garlic’s story is charmingly told. With fragrance divine, in our feasts, it’ll shine, a culinary gem to savour and behold.”