Page 68 - Cityview_Jan_Feb_2014

WELLNESS SPOTLIGHT

by oana Harrison

SPRING HAS SPRUNG.

A Spring Allium!

What better way to spring your taste buds into action than by cooking

with fresh and green spring onions, garlic, or leeks? This youthful trio

from the Allium family can put a spring in your step by fending off

germs from the inside out. So, unless you’re a vampire, on a date—

or a vampire on a date—sink your teeth into some Allium health!

MiND
looks like a paler version of its cousin,

They might be young but they sure are the green onion, and its leaves are flat
mighty: spring or green onions, garlic, rather than cylindrical. green garlic is in

and leeks are a vivacious bunch. Said to season february through June.
cure everything from earaches to dog Spring Leek (Allium ampeloprasum)

bites to evil spirits, these fresh and “aro- looks like green garlic on steroids. It
matic” vegetables have held their own has a mild and more delicate flavor

since prehistoric times, originating from when young but can grow to be quite
Asia and making their way into main- thick and tall. Although it is available

stream cuisine worldwide.
year-round, leek is at its best when
Spring onion (Allium wakegi) came young, from September to March.

from Central Asia and was a staple in
prehistoric diets. often, young sprouts BODY

from the regular onion bulbs (Allium The Allium family is known for its
cepa) are packaged and sold as “green on- omnipotent curing abilities. Legends

ions,” but the true green onion or scallion praise powers from curing common
is a type of onion that will stay forever colds to fending off evil spirits—and

young (i.e,. it will never fully mature into there’s no smoke without a fire. the name
a large bulb). Sometimes, scallions are Containing sulfur compounds, which
“allium” comes
confused with shallots, mainly due to “enhance” them with a characteristic from the Latin
their name. Although they are related, smell, the members of this family are
word for garlic.
shallots are distinctively different: they antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, antisep-
are a fully-grown onion variety, display- tic, antispasmodic, digestive, diuretic, members of
this family are
ing a cluster-like bulb similar to garlic.
expectorant, hypoglycemic, hypoten-
Spring garlic (Allium sativum) sive, and stimulants.
often topped
with lowers like
derives its name from two Anglo-Saxon onions might make you cry—but you
words meaning spear-plant. It, too, is an should be crying tears of joy. onions these—but beware!
they may have an
immature youngster, bringing a fresh and garlic both contain high levels of
but mild flavor boost to any meal. It
polyphenols, which are antioxidants
oniony smell.

66 cityviewmag.com maRcH aPRiL 2014