Leek

The Leek in Ancient Egypt


 * Egyptian Name:**

//I'kt//

From the dried specimens found at archaeological sites, as well as wall carvings and reliefs, Zohary and Hopf concluded that the Common Leek and the Egyptian Leek were a part of the Egyptian diet from at least the 2nd millennium B.C.E . onwards. Leeks were grown year-round in gardens, and many dried specimens have been found in tombs. Leeks were used medically to darken burn scars and to "cool the limbs."

The Israelites, who had become accustomed to the Egyptian diet of bread, fish, and vegetables, complained when they were wandering in the desert: "We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic." (Numbers 11)

The Vegetables of Ancient Egypt