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Porro
Leek
Appears in
By Antonio Carluccio and Priscilla Carluccio
Published 1997
This vegetable is like a cross between garlic and onion - and belongs to same family. It is cultivated all over Italy, but mainly in Liguria, Marche, Abruzzo and Puglia. The varieties have such names as Gigante d’lnverno, Mostruoso di Carentan, Elefante and Porro d’Italia. The Romans took this vegetable with them all over Europe, indeed in Wales the leek is now the symbol of that country.
In Italy, it is eaten in soups and for that purpose you use both the white and green parts. Those cultivated in the summer are more tender and they are usually eaten raw in Pinzimonio. Leeks are also eaten with béchamel sauce. I prefer them freshly boiled and eaten as an antipasto, dressed with a little olive oil and vinegar.