Afternoon walk and Ramsons - Weekend Herb Blogging

So here we go again: it is spring and there are ramsons (Allium ursinum) also known as buckrams, wild garlic, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic or bear's garlic growing everywhere. You can smell its garlicky aroma already from far. The specific name derives from the fact that brown bears like to eat the bulbs of the plant and dig up the ground to get at them, as do wild boar. Actually this is the first thing they find to eat after the winter sleep. This afternoon walk with my dog I had the sudden idea to collect a bunch.

I walk every day along the growning ramsons and this time I could not resist.

Ramsons' leaves are edible; they can be used as salad, spice, boiled as a vegetable, or as an ingredient for pesto in lieu of basil. Be careful when collecting because you might cofound with lily of the valley, meadow saffron or with Arum maculatum which are very poisonous! If you want to read more click here.

As you saw it in the title this is my entry for the Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen. This is the second time that I participate, as first I submitted some homegrown garlic. It is a bit ironic because I am not so much a garlic fan, and now here is the bear's garlic as second.