Leek a member of the onion family distinguished by its mild, sweet flavour, is beset by the problems of classification which seem to affect the whole family. A traditional and simple solution is to say that Allium ampeloprasum is the wild leek, ancestor of A. porrum, the cultivated leek of Europe. (Note, however, that there are also cultivars of A. ampeloprasum itself, such as the elephant garlic group and one which is important in Afghanistan, namely Gandana (local name gandana). This last may be identical with Tarreh Irani, important in Iran, where tarreh is the common name. These two resemble common chives, although larger and flatter, so are often referred to as Chinese or Persian chives.)
