Welsh leeks have received a special legal protection against imitation. The Welsh Government announced the UK Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) is now available to the national vegetable of Wales.
A government spokesman said the PGI scheme, which started in 2021, has seen Welsh leeks become the third product from Wales to achieve the "highly sought-after" UK PGI status, following Gower salt marsh lamb and Cambrian mountains lamb. Leeks can now be sold with a special logo to guarantee they were grown in Wales. This will "promote the heritage and culture of Wales" and certify "quality and uniqueness", said the spokesman.
They are also the 19th member of the Welsh GI family, joining products including Anglesey sea salt, Welsh lamb, Welsh beef and Pembrokeshire Earlies. "Each family member is Welsh to the core and uniquely linked to the landscapes and seascapes which nurture them," the spokesman added.
The Welsh leeks application was led by Pembrokeshire’s Puffin Produce, which also sells the protected Pembrokeshire Early potatoes. Its CEO Huw Thomas said: “The leek is an iconic emblem of Wales. We are incredibly proud to be able to grow Welsh leeks and the GI status is hugely important to promote the quality and heritage behind this majestic crop.”
Food historian Carwyn Graves told the BBC earlier this year that Wales' ability to grow leeks had historically helped prevent malnutrition. He said: "Leeks go back a lot longer than people would expect. Many countries have got plants symbolising them and some of those date back a few hundred years, but the Welsh leek may date back to the very first origins of Welsh nationhood."
He added that there were stories of leeks being used by Welsh soldiers as a distinguishing marker during the Saxon era of 410 to 1066AD. And William Shakespeare's Henry V, written in around 1599, mentions Welsh men wearing leeks in their caps.
Mr Graves said people were referring to leeks by the early Middle Ages as "a kind of marker of the Welsh, so the mythology has been around for at least 1,000 years". He described the vegetable as "probably one of the main things that kept the Welsh from scurvy" as they grew all year round in Wales' milder climate.
Welsh leeks are a product of several hybrid varieties which are best-suited to Welsh growing conditions. The final product has distinct characteristics such as the "predominant long distinctive dark green flag which comprises over 40% of the overall length of the leek", said the government spokesman.
He added: "Welsh leeks are normally planted from late February through to May and harvested from August through until April or May, with some crops remaining in the ground for up to 12 months. The leeks can be left in the ground without affecting their quality, leading to slower maturation providing more time for the peppery flavour and buttery aroma to fully develop."
The government says any producer can sell Welsh leeks with the special logo if they "follow the product’s specification and are verified to do so". The Welsh GI family's 19 products are:
- Welsh Beef
- Welsh Lamb
- Pembrokeshire Earlies
- Anglesey Sea Salt
- Conwy Mussels
- Carmarthen Ham
- Traditionally Reared Pedigree Welsh Pork
- West Wales Coracle Caught Salmon
- West Wales Coracle Caught Sewin
- Welsh Laverbread
- Traditional Welsh Perry
- Traditional Welsh Cider
- Welsh Wine
- Welsh Wine
- Traditional Welsh Caerphilly
- The Vale of Clwyd Denbigh Plum
- Gower Salt Marsh Lamb
- Cambrian Mountains Lamb
- Welsh Leeks
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