297080 Wed May 12 08:33:24 -0700 2004 9 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1638318 Gee, I thought I knew about all vegetables in the US, and even in Mexico, but I don't know what a ramp is. Please enlighten. TIA Wed May 12 08:33:24 -0700 2004 0 lizard acres 1 1638319 Ramps are also called "wild leeks." They are cousins to the leek and onion, and have a very pungent flavor and aroma. They grow wild in shaded woodland settings all up and down the East Coast, but in recent years they have also been cultivated by some farmers. In the South, particularly in the mountains, the arrival of ramps in the spring is often celebrated with community festivals at which ramp-based dishes are cooked and consumed (West Virginia and North Carolina have famous ramp festivals.) Here in NYC, people hip to the magic of ramps breathlessly await their annual arrival at the Greenmarket (first ramps of the season hit a couple of weekends ago.) Ramp season doesn't last very long, so if you're interested in trying them, the time to start trying to find them is now. - er Wed May 12 08:45:00 -0700 2004 1638318 0 enrevanche 2 1638322 What part of it can you eat? Wed May 12 08:56:01 -0700 2004 1638319 0 timjob 3 1638328 >> What part of it can you eat? Basically, all of it. The bulb, of course, is edible, but (as with wild onions, etc.) so are the green tops, which can be sliced and cooked as with the bulb or chopped and mixed in a salad, etc. - er Wed May 12 10:05:53 -0700 2004 1638322 0 enrevanche 4 1638396 So, they're wild onions. I grew up on the East Coast and tromped around shaded woodlands and marshes as a pre-teen and teenager. There were lots of wild onions in early spring. Why are they called ramps? Does anyone know? Thu May 13 00:15:40 -0700 2004 1638328 0 lizard acres 5 1638400 The ramp, sometimes called wild leek, is a wild onion native to North America. Though the bulb resembles that of a scallion, the beautiful flat, broad leaves set it apart. According to John Mariani, author of "The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink," the word ramp comes from "rams," or "ramson," an Elizabethan dialect rendering of the wild garlic. The word is first mentioned in English print in 1530, but was used earlier by English immigrants of the southern Appalachian Mountains. Ramps grow from South Carolina to Canada, and in many areas they're considered a spring delicacy and even a reason for celebration. West Virginia is well-known for their many festivals and events in celebration of the ramp. The flavor and odor of ramps is usually compared to a combination of onions and garlic, and the garlic odor is particularly strong. Thu May 13 03:32:03 -0700 2004 1638396 0 The Rogue 6 1638403 Thank you for the education. Ramps sound delicious! By the way, onions, leeks, garlic and chives are all members of the Lily family. Thu May 13 07:53:29 -0700 2004 1638400 0 lizard acres 5 1638402 What you are referring to is probably the wild garlic, a pest in most peoples lawns, but edible. It has a leaf similar to chives, and I often substitute one for the other. The ramp is a whole other animal. I'm not sure whether or not one of the posters above was punning intentionally, but "breathlessly" is a good term to use. The wild ramp is a powerful, garlicky, oniony plant, and much less socially acceptable to polite company. The odor will also sweat out through your skin. In the country we cooked them with steak instead of steak and onions. Once having eaten them we all went our separate ways for a time. They also have a tendency to cause abdominal gas in great quantities among the uninitiated (and the initiated, as well). The old-time Ramp Festivals were simply gatherings of men who got thoroughly plowed (or crazed, in some cases) on moonshine and ate the ramps raw. This may have given rise to the origin of the name - rampaging. The new ones must be similar to our Chittling Festival here in SC - you just have to be careful to approach it from upwind. Don't mistake my descriptions for a put down - I love the taste with steak. Try them by all means, but unless they have come up with a milder commercial version, don't breath on me. Thu May 13 07:10:18 -0700 2004 1638396 0 Sandy 6 1638425 Aside from the breath issue I wonder if there are other properties one should be aware of before consuming ramps... Mario Batali noted in his NYT magazine profile that... "Ramps give me wood." Thu May 13 13:07:01 -0700 2004 1638402 0 Sir Gawain 1 1638458 this is a ramp: Link: http://www.foodsubs.com/Onionsgreen.html#ramps Thu May 13 17:31:08 -0700 2004 1638318 0 Jupiter