This is the leek commonly found in North America in practically every supermarket, produce market, farmer's market and produce stand. For culinary purposes a "medium leek" is cut to 13 inches long (excluding roots) and weighs about 9 ounces with a bulb about 1.6 inches diameter. Prepared for use it will weigh about 5-3/4 ounces. The photo shows a leek as marketed and as prepared for use in cooking.
More on Onion Family.
Leeks are used in all European cuisines, and are important in the cuisines of the British Isles, paricularly Wales and Ireland, and in France. They are often used as a basis for soup stocks in combination with onions.
After preparation (as shown in the top photo), leaks are most often sliced crosswise very thin starting from the top and working down to the root end. The slices will usually be fried in oil along with onions and other aromatic vegetables before adding water and other ingredients.
These leeks are now grown in California and appear in the Asian markets
here. They are much smaller than the common leek with bulbs up to 1.5
inches diameter and shafts about 0.83 inch diameter. They were cut to
the same standard 13 inch length (not counting roots) used for Common
Leeks sent to market. Preparation and usage is pretty much the same as
for the common leek.
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