Family: Alliaceae
Synonyms: Allium adscendens, Allium albescens, Allium ascendens, Allium bertolonii, Allium byzantinum, Allium duriaeanum, Allium durieuanum, Allium firmotunicatum album, Allium gasparrinii, Allium helleri, Allium holmense, Allium laetum, Allium leucanthum, Allium lineare,Allium multiflorum, Allium pardoi, Allium polyanthum, Allium porraceum, Allium pylium, Allium rotundum multiflorum, Allium rotundum polyanthum, Allium scopulicola, Allium spectabile, Allium syriacum, Allium thessalum, Porrum amethystinum, Porrum ampeloprasum, Porrum commune.
Common Name: Wild Leek Elephant Garlic, Levant garlic
Local Name: Luhan (लुहन)

Luhan is large, perennial herb of Western Himalaya resembling ordinary garlic in fragrance and appearance. Its cloves are larger and milder than of regular garlic. Plant is often seen growing in woodland, garden, sunny edges, in dappled shady places, in hedgerow, sandy and rocky places, in disturbed areas such as old fields and hedge banks, slopes, alongside paths and in drainage ditches from 1500 to 3000 m. Plant can easily propagate through seeds or bulbils, as bulbils grow where they fall. Luhan grows best in well drained sunny habitat.

A plant of luhan growing wild.

                 Luhan leaves, flowers, bulb and bulbils all are edible and eaten both raw or cooked. Flowers and finely chopped leaves are an excellent addition to various food items like soups, rayata, chutneys, Kachru, parantha as a garnishing and flavoring agent. Leaves are cooked in vegetable and added to other greens for making saag. Bulbs are also eaten raw in salad, used in chutney along with leaves and cooked or pickled to preserve for later use.

               Like garlic Luhan is also used to treat a wide range of ailments. So, it is frequently used in various food preparation. It can be used in almost every culinary items as a condiment to harness its rich nutritive and medicinal value. Its cloves are milder in comparisons to garlic, so often eaten raw by many people.

               Luhan is harvested from wild habitat as a source of food and medicine for local personal uses. Sometime it is also cultivated as a food plant or ornamental plant near to habitation.

Close-up of luhan bulb and roots

 Luhan Plant:

Plant is a large, perennial herb arising from underground bulb consisting of very large, garlic-like cloves.

Stems is about 1 m tall having solid, flowering stalk with broad flat leaves and large pink flower-heads,

Leaves looks like garlic leaves but are broad and flat than garlic. These also smell like garlic.

Luhan bulbil

Floral heads consist of a ball of bulbils, each capable of growing where it falls.

Small pink flowers open around flower-heads.

Luhan edible leaves are best harvested from late autumn to the rainy season of the year. It is in bloom in rainy season. Bulb though available round the year but should be harvested after flowering is over. Luhan is already categorized in IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 3, so its bulb and flowers need to be sustainably harvested by rotating habitat for ensuring sustainable development. For optimum and easy utilization of Luhan it need to be cultivated and bring into domestication.

Edible Uses:

Luhan is with pleasant mild to strong garlic flavor, so all the important plant parts viz bulb, leaves, bulbils and flowers all are either eaten raw or cooked. These are mainly used in flavoring various culinary preparations and are an excellent addition to many traditional and current tableware like chutneys, rayata, Kachru, parantha, pakoras, poha, kachouri, bhale, Kachru, soups, siddu etc.

Luhan bulb collected for cooking.

Green leaves of luhan are either eaten raw or cooked. These are more used as garnishing and flavoring agent. To cook these as a vegetable leaves are mixed with other available greens and  are cooked as other potherbs. Bulb are eaten raw in salad. Its cloves are used like spice in almost all vegetable preparation and also pickled as regular garlic. Luhan flowers and bulbils are used to flavor and garnish cooked food items.

Finely chopped leaves of luhan and coriander for cooking

Chutney:

Ingredients:

To prepare chutney, take 100 gm luhan leaves, 50 g, luhan cloves; 100 gm chopped mint leaves, 50 gm anardana (Driedpomegranate seeds) or amchoor (Dried mango powder), 5-6 green chillies, 20 gm coriander leaves/ curry leaves, 2-3 onion, 1table spoon amount ginger.

Method:

Grind well all above ingredients in a mixer grinder and add salt according to taste. Now chutney is ready to serve. Serve with siddu/ kachuri/ parantha/Kachru/ pakoras etc.

Chutney ready to serve

Vegetable:

Ingredients:

Luhan young leaves and other wild potherbs, 1 kg; mustard oil, 2 table spoons; coriander powder 1 table spoon; fenugreek powder, ½ table spoon; cumin seed ¼ table spoon; turmeric powder, 1/4 table spoon; red chilies, 2-3; chopped onions 2-4; luhan, 5-10 cloves; ginger paste ½ table spoon and salt according to taste.

Method:

Boil chopped plant parts they become soft. Then mesh manually or in a mixer. Then sauté with hot mustard oil and the spices listed before in sequence. This sauted saag is then ready and can be served as such or can be mixed with 2 or 3 chopped onion and cooked for another 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Luhan Pickle:

Ingredient:

Cleaned luhan cloves, 250 g; mustard seeds, 2 table spoons; fennel seed,1 teas poon; fenugreek, 1 tea spoon; nigella seeds.1/2 tea soon; ajwain, 1 table spoon; asfoetida powder,1 table spoon; vinegar, 2 table spoon;  red chilies, 7-8;  turmeric powder, 1 tea spoon; mustard oil, 4-5 table spoon. black and white salt according to taste.

Method:

Roast spices for 1 minute and grind all except nigella.  Put ground spices inside a mixing bowl. Add to it chopped luhan cloves, vinegar/amchoor (Dried mango powder), nigella seeds and salt. Add to it mustard oil, mix well and place in a ceramic jar. Now place this ceramic jar in full sunlight for 10-15 days. Now it is ready to eat. Pickle prepared in this way can be preserved for 3 years.

SIDDU:

SIDDU is a healthy delicious steam cooked dish of upper region of Western Himalayas

Ingredient:

Wheat flour, 3 cup amount; walnut seed, ½ cup amount; yeast ½ tea spoon; medium sized onion, 1; coriander powder, 1table spoon; boiled potatoes, 4-5; red or green chilies, 4-5; chopped green luhan and coriander leaves, 4 cup amount and salt according to taste.

Method:

Dip yeast in half cup of water for 3-5 minutes. Add it to wheat flour along with one cup of warm water and then make its dough. Keep this dough for 3-4 hour and if weather is cool then cover dough with warm cloth. Dip walnut seed in water for 3 hour and grind dipped seed along with onion, chopped luhan, coriander leaves and chilies. Mix it with mashed potatoes into a paste used for stuffing SIDDU.

Paste prepared for stuffing siddu (meshed potato, ground walnut seeds, chopped coriander leaves and leaves plus cloves of luhan)

Make a thick chapatti of dough and stuff it with paste already prepared.  Now fold this chapatti and twist from sides to prepare SIDDU. Place all SIDDU prepared like this in a plate and apply thin film of oil over them. Now place water inside SIDDU maker and let it boil. Now place SIDDU in all the partition of SIDDU maker. Keep a cotton cloth or Bergenia ciliata leaves over uppermost partition of SIDDU maker to avoid steam drops on the SIDDU. Steam all the SIDDU inside SIDDU maker for 20 to 25 minutes. Now SIDDU are ready to serve.  They can be served with Tomato catchup, chutney or Desi ghee.

Siddu ready to serve

Nutrient Value:

100 g of luhan contain; Water 78.3 g, Energy 85 Kcal, Protein 1.67 g, Total Fat (lipid) 0.34 g, Ash 0.79 g, Carbohydrate 16.6 g, Total dietary Fiber 4.23 g, Calcium 75.6 mg, Iron  0.54 mg, Magnesium 17.1 mg, Potassium 455 mg, Sodium 32.7 mg, Zinc 0.752 mg, Copper 0.11 mg, Manganese 0.11 mg, Vitamin B9 (Folate) 145 µg, Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 3.44 mg, Vitamin C (Dehydroascorbic acid) 2.14 mg, Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.03 mg, Oxalic acid 50.3 mg, Glutamic acid 21.7 mg, Malic acid 70.9 mg, Citric acid 24.4 mg, Fumaric acid 0.85 mg, Succinic acid 2.14 mg 4.

Seek advice from a professional before using this plant medicinally.

Medicinal Uses:

This species has the same medicinal virtues as garlic, but in a much milder and less effective form1. Iron found in luhan helps to boost oxygen distribution in the body, increases energy levels, and supports healthy immune function 4. Iron is particularly important for premenopausal women, who experience iron loss during their menstrual cycles4. Folate (which is an essential B vitamin) present in luhan keeps homocysteine of our bodies in check 4. Homocysteine is a protein found in the blood that contributes to atherosclerosis when it is in high amounts. benefit the heart and circulatory system 4. Kaempferol in luhan protects the blood vessels against damage, while also supporting the liver with elimination of cholesterol 4. Reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and total cholesterol, which is very important for preventing heart disease and atherosclerosis 4.

Luhan is helpful to fight or prevent cancer due to its high antioxidant content 4. Choline, which is a used as a chemical messenger in the brain (neurotransmitter) support proper cognitive function and facilitate learning in adults and children 4.

Other Uses:

The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent 2. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles 2.

References:

  1. Bown, D. (1995). The Royal Horticultural Society encyclopedia of herbs & their uses. Dorling Kindersley Limited.
  2. C Riotte. L. (1978). Garden Way, Vermont, USA. ompanion Planting for Successful Gardening.
  3. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016
  4. 4.https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/wild-leek.

582 thoughts on “Allium ampeloprasum L. Luhan (लुहन)

  1. Although I’ve shared this blog with many people, it seems to me like very few people are able to grasp how important it really is. I have truly enjoyed browsing your blog posts. I seriously learned something here today. People today really should pay close attention to this sort of data or they are going to have a really hard time later on in their life.

  2. For full disclosure, I have tosaythat I used towork in this area. I really like your article. Some nice points there. It’s like you read my thoughts!

  3. Hello there! I know this is kinda off topic however I’d figured I’d ask.

    Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest authoring a blog post or vice-versa?
    My website covers a lot of the same subjects as yours and
    I believe we could greatly benefit from each other.
    If you might be interested feel free to send me an email.
    I look forward to hearing from you! Awesome blog by the way!

  4. This is an excellent, an eye-opener for sure! Your article has proven useful to me. The reallygoodnews is that tryingoneapproach does notstopyou from tryingthe other.

  5. Every time I come to your website I am always bound to learn new facts. I’m really looking forward to more posts from you. I really like your article. I have been looking everywhere for this!

  6. Great read. I enjoyed reading what you had to say. It’s like you wrote the book on it or something. It’s like you read my thoughts!

  7. It’s like you wrote the book on it or something. Interesting content. This is an excellent, an eye-opener for sure! Interesting content. I visit your website I am excited to learn new ideas.| Nice write up.| I enjoyed reading this.| Nice write up.

  8. I just want to tell you that I am just new to blogging and site-building and definitely liked you’re website. More than likely I’m planning to bookmark your site . You actually have superb article content. Thank you for sharing your website page.

  9. hello!,I really like your writing very so much! percentage we keep up a correspondence more approximately your article on AOL?

    I need an expert on this house to solve my problem.
    Maybe that’s you! Having a look ahead to see you. adreamoftrains web hosting providers

  10. I just want to tell you that I’m newbie to blogs and certainly savored your page. Probably I’m likely to bookmark your blog . You definitely have excellent articles and reviews. Many thanks for revealing your website.

  11. Someone necessarily help to make seriously posts I would state.
    This is the first time I frequented your website page and thus
    far? I amazed with the research you made to make this particular
    publish incredible. Magnificent activity!

  12. Hello my friend! I want to say that this post is amazing, nice written and come with approximately all vital infos. Iโ€™d like to see extra posts like this.

  13. I wanted to put you this little word to be able to thank you the moment again for your personal awesome information you have featured above. This is so shockingly generous of you to deliver without restraint exactly what many of us might have made available as an ebook to make some money for their own end, even more so considering that you could have done it if you wanted. The tips as well served to become easy way to comprehend other people online have a similar desire the same as my very own to know the truth very much more on the topic of this issue. I am certain there are a lot more pleasant instances ahead for those who read carefully your blog post.

  14. Needed to draft you that tiny observation to say thank you as before regarding the pleasing strategies you’ve provided on this site. It has been so shockingly open-handed of you to give extensively just what most of us could possibly have sold as an e book to generate some cash for their own end, particularly seeing that you could possibly have tried it in the event you decided. The good tips in addition served to become fantastic way to be sure that other people have the identical dreams much like my own to grasp lots more when it comes to this condition. I think there are some more pleasurable moments up front for those who scan through your blog.

  15. After going over a few of the articles on your web page, I honestly appreciate your technique of blogging. I added it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back soon. Please visit my web site too and tell me how you feel.

  16. Will you mind basically if i quote a couple of your articles
    given that I provide credit and sources returning to your site?
    My blog is in the exact same niche as yours and my users would definitely
    benefit from a few of the information you present here.

    Please tell me if this alright together with you.
    Thanks a great deal!

    My website: HoytNWeihl

  17. It’s in reality very complicated in this particular packed with activity life to
    listen news on TV, therefore I simply use internet for that reason, and get the most up-to-date news.

    Here is my web site IanGGeving

  18. Hello, Neat post. There may be a challenge with your website in internet explorer, might check this?
    IE still will be the marketplace leader and a big component
    to other people will leave out your excellent writing because of this issue.

    Also visit my homepage LeotaIPotvin

  19. Hello there! I was able to have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after checking through a few of the post I realized it’s a
    novice to me. Anyways, I’m definitely glad I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!

    Also visit my blog post – HelgaTTorn

  20. Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wished to say that I’ve
    truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts. In any
    case I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you
    write again very soon!

    Here is my blog post :: Tiffiny

  21. excellent submit, very informative. I wonder why the contrary
    experts of the sector don’t realize this. You should proceed your writing.
    I am sure, you’ve a tremendous readers’ base already!

    Here is my website … StacyAHasper

  22. I simply couldn’t depart your site prior to suggesting that I actually enjoyed the usual info a person provide to your guests? Is gonna be back ceaselessly to check up on new posts.

  23. This is really interesting, You’re a very skilled blogger. I have joined your rss feed and look forward to seeking more of your wonderful post. Also, I’ve shared your site in my social networks!|

  24. I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own blog and was wondering what all is required to get setup? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very web savvy so I’m not 100 certain. Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers|

  25. I do agree with all of the ideas you’ve introduced in your post. They’re really convincing and can definitely work. Still, the posts are very short for novices. May just you please prolong them a bit from subsequent time? Thank you for the post.|

  26. Great site you’ve got here.. It’s difficult to find high-quality writing like yours nowadays. I seriously appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!

  27. whoah this blog is excellent i love studying your articles.Stay up the good work! You recognize, lots of individuals are searching round for this information, you can aid them greatly.

  28. Hi there, I believe your website could possibly be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in Internet Explorer, it’s got some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other than that, excellent site!

  29. May I simply just say what a relief to uncover someone who truly understands what they’re discussing over the internet. You definitely understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More and more people have to check this out and understand this side of your story. I can’t believe you’re not more popular given that you most certainly have the gift.

  30. After I originally commented I appear to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now whenever a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the exact same comment. Is there a means you can remove me from that service? Thanks a lot.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *