It
is little used by Americans except as a flavoring for salads and various
kinds of highly seasoned meats. In reality, a very small amount of
garlic is sufficient to lend enough flavor, and so the bowl in which a
salad is served is often merely rubbed with garlic before the salad is
put into it. No difficulty will be experienced in recognizing garlic in
the markets, for here it is found in long strings that are made by
braiding the dry stems together.
44. SHALLOTS.--Closely allied to garlic are shallots, which are native
to Syria, where they still grow wild. They are said to have been brought
into Europe by the Crusaders. The bulbs of this vegetable are similar to
those of garlic, being compound in form, but instead of being enclosed
in a thin covering, they are separate when mature, as Fig. 11 shows.
Shallots have a strong flavor, but it is not so rank as that of garlic,
nor does the odor remain in the mouth so long as that of onion. Many
persons like shallots for flavoring stews, soups, salads, and pickles.
45. LEEKS.--Another member of the onion family that is more highly
prized and more extensively raised in Europe than in the United States
is leeks. As Fig. 10 shows, leeks do not produce a bulb as do onions. In
this vegetable, the lower parts of the leaves grow close together and
form a bulb-like stem, or neck, which is fairly solid and which
constitutes the edible part. The odor and flavor of leeks are similar to
those of onions, but they are somewhat weaker.
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