Cultural Significance
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 255 kJ (61 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 14.2 g |
| - Sugars | 3.9 g |
| - Dietary fiber | 1.8 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g |
| - saturated | 0.04 g |
| - monounsaturated | 0.004 g |
| - polyunsaturated | 0.166 g |
| Protein | 1.5 g |
| Water | 83 g |
| Vitamin A equiv. | 83 μg (10%) |
| Thiamine (vit. B1) | 0.06 mg (5%) |
| Riboflavin (vit. B2) | 0.03 mg (3%) |
| Niacin (vit. B3) | 0.4 mg (3%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.233 mg (18%) |
| Folate (vit. B9) | 64 μg (16%) |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 μg (0%) |
| Vitamin C | 12 mg (14%) |
| Vitamin E | 0.92 mg (6%) |
| Vitamin K | 47 μg (45%) |
| Calcium | 59 mg (6%) |
| Iron | 2.1 mg (16%) |
| Magnesium | 28 mg (8%) |
| Phosphorus | 35 mg (5%) |
| Potassium | 180 mg (4%) |
| Sodium | 20 mg (1%) |
| Zinc | 0.12 mg (1%) |
| Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. |
|
The leek is one of the national emblems of Wales, worn along with the daffodil (in Welsh, the daffodil is known as "Peter's leek," Cenhinen Bedr) on St. David’s Day. According to one legend, King Cadwaladr of Gwynedd ordered his soldiers to identify themselves by wearing the vegetable on their helmets in an ancient battle against the Saxons that took place in a leek field. This story may have been made up by the English poet Michael Drayton, but the leek has been known to be a symbol of Wales for a long time; Shakespeare, for example, refers to the custom of wearing a leek as an “ancient tradition” in Henry V. In the play, Henry tells Fluellen that he is wearing a leek “for I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.” The 1985 and 1990 British one pound coins bear the design of a leek in a coronet, representing Wales.
Perhaps the most visible use of the leek, however, is as the cap badge of the Welsh Guards, a regiment within the Household Division of the British Army.
In Romania, the leek is also widely considered a symbol of Oltenia, a historical region in the southwestern part of the country.
Read more about this topic: Leek
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