When Michael Stadtlander, Canada’s heralded king of cuisine, holds a festival to mark the beginning of a single plant’s growing season, you know it has to be a very special plant. Come Spring, chefs and connoisseurs from around the province gather to celebrate the harvest of the Allium Tricoccum, otherwise known as ramps or wild leek. Among the first of foraged delicacies, wild leeks personify Ontario’s locally grown bounty.

Wild leeks are decidedly different from the domesticated variety we typically come across. First off, they are slender shoots, no thicker than a green onion, with a delicate herb-like leaf. The flavour, surprising for its size, is strikingly bold. With grassy and spicy notes to the leaves (think arugula with a raw garlic punch), and a flavour somewhere between onion and leek for the stalk, this member of the Alliaceae (onion) family has a habit of standing out in a dish. And, it is precisely this salient presence that makes this plant so well loved.

Wild leeks grow in patches in moist forested areas around Ontario and throughout North America. Their foliage resembles a slightly thinner lily-of-the-valley leaf, and a strong odour of onion is a good indication you’ve hit your mark. Foraging for these treats is one of the great pleasures of Springtime. Of course, it goes without saying, when foraging for any plant, if you are unsure about the designation - DON’T EAT IT!

For those less likely to go scouring the forest, here in Toronto wild leeks find their way into farmers markets around mid to late May. There are also some well stocked stores that will carry the shoots. Organics on Bloor owner Monica Walker is a fierce enthusiast of the vegetable. “The taste is so distinctive,” Walker comments, “it adds flavour to any dish… it just takes it up a notch.”

Wild leeks lend themselves to many foods and preparations. Eaten raw they provide spice and garlicky pungency that play off well with fattier foods like cheese and add flare to salads much as arugula would. Like all members of the Alliaceae family, when cooked, ramps will mellow in flavour. They become excellent as background layers to soups and stews and hold up nicely to fish and even more robust game meats.

David Lee, executive chef at Splendido, is currently serving ramps paired with capunti pasta and west coast morels as part of his tasting menu (8 courses for $130). But, like many ramp lovers, Walker enjoys wild leek served up very simply - coarsely chopped and sprinkled over some warm baby new potatoes with a little butter and salt.

While the growing season for wild leeks is relatively short, they can be pickled or canned to last throughout the year. Most ramp fanciers, however, agree fresh really is the way to go. So, if there is one new thing to try this Spring, make it some ramps… guaranteed by next season you’ll be calling Stadtlander to book your table.