As you take a walk in nature, the smell of garlic fills the air in the forest and it makes you wonder whether it is a dream since there is no garlic bulb in sight. From April until May in Germany, you get acquainted with this scent and learn that it comes from a plant called Bärlauch, or, in English, Wild-Garlic. The German name - bärlauch, literally translated, bear's garlic - is interesting since it reflects the characteristic of the plant as bears eat a bunch of them as soon as they wake up from hibernation. Wild garlic is very common in the forests and are a favorite ingredient for pesto so brave people collect them. I say brave not because they have to fight with bears over it but rather there are poisonous plants that look like it.
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| 1. Wild garlic or Bärlauch with flowers |
Such a generous gift from mother nature has some risks and people have died having mistakenly eaten wild garlic's poisonous doppelgänger. There are two of these poisonous look-alikes and one is deadlier than the other - lily of the valley (Maiglöckchen) and autumn crocus (Herbstzeitlosen) - so it is important to distinguish them apart from wild garlic. Only bärlauch smells like garlic. When you break off a stem of leaf of wild garlic, it, of course, smells strongly like garlic. The lines running through the wild garlic leaf are wider apart from each other as compared to the lily of the valley. Another distinct characteristic of the wild garlic is that each of it's leaves has its own stem that comes out of the ground, you can say that stand on their own feet! The flowers of the wild garlic are also very different from the other two poisonous plants (see picture 1 above). Gathering wild garlic while it has flowers seem to be a good time since you can easily confirm that it is indeed wild garlic and not lily of the valley (white bell-shaped flowers) nor autumn crocus (purple flowers). Another tip is to go to the middle of the wild garlic patch to be sure you are getting the right leaves. When in the forest, make sure though that you know whether you are allowed to collect wild garlic since some areas are protected by law and there is a hefty fine if you get caught.
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| 2. Lily of the Valley or Maiglöckchen |
The lily of the valley or Maiglöckchen, literally translated in English as May bells, have white flowers that resemble little bells. They also grow around the same time as the wild garlic and so to the untrained eye, this can be a problem since they are poisonous. However, apart from the flowers, there are some distinct features that show it is not wild garlic. First, it doesn't smell like garlic when you break off a part of a leaf. Second, the space between the lines running through the leaf are much more narrow than the wild garlic. Third, the leaves of the lily of the valley share the same stem, so there can be three leaves standing on one stem (see picture 2 above). The lily of the valley is poisonous but sometimes it can still land on your plate by mistake. The good news though is that there is an antidote to the poison of the lily of the valley and so if you are able to call emergency and make it to the hospital in time, you can surely survive the ordeal.
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| 3. The autumn crocus or Herbszeitlose |
The autumn crocus is perhaps the deadliest look-alike of the wild garlic. Eating just one leaf by mistake is already fatal and so it is best to exercise caution when collecting wild garlic from the wild to avoid getting the crocus by mistake. Luckily, they look quite different from the wild garlic and so it is important to tell them apart and leave them alone. First, they don't smell like garlic. Second, their leaves are more elongated and less curvy than the wild garlic. Third, several leaves share the same stem (see above). And fourth, their flowers are bright purple. They flower both in spring and in autumn. There have been cases where people have eaten the autumn crocus by mistake and unfortunately, the risk of death is quite high depending on the amount eaten. The first symptoms of poisoning occur already after an hour or two after ingestion with a tingling sensation in the mouth, stomach upset, feeling unwell, vomiting, problems swallowing, cramps, etc. Then diarrhea occurs after several hours and symptoms could be mistaken for cholera with blood in the urine and breathing paralysis, which is the main cause of death. As soon as you have the first symptoms, it is important to seek immediate medical attention to prevent further health deterioration and minimize the risk of death.
Gathering wild garlic is not without risk, especially if you are not familiar with the plant itself and its dangerous counterparts. So, to fully enjoy this delicious seasonal delicacy of nature, it is best to buy them from the farmer's market. If you get your hand on this tasty leaf, you can make wild garlic pesto out of it following this recipe. You can use it as a bread spread, in pasta or even mix it with rice!
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