Akaka, Wolag, Valik
Allium akaka

Family: Amaryllidaceae

What it is like

An onion family plant with a bulb. It grows to 15 cm tall and 12 cm wide. The bulb is 15-30 mm across. The leaves are wide. The flower stalk is 30 cm high and solid. The flower heads are round. The flowers are mauve to white.

There are about 300-700 Allium species. Most species of Allium are edible (Flora of China). All alliums are edible but they may not all be worth eating! They have also been put in the family Alliaceae.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows naturally in dry stony places, scree slopes etc. between 1600 metres and 3000 metres in Turkey, Northern Iran and Russia. It grows in sunny well drained moist soils. They can probably tolerate cold temperatures down to about -5°C.

Countries/locations it is found in

Azerbaijan, Europe, Iran, Iraq, Middle East, Russia, Turkey, Türkiye

How it is used for food

The bulb is eaten raw or cooked. The leaves are eaten raw or cooked. They are used in stews and vegetable dishes. The flowers are eaten raw as a garnish on salads.

It is a cultivated crop in Iran sold in shops and markets.

Edible parts

Flowers, leaves, root, bulb, vegetable

How it is grown

Seed can be used to grow plants but these take a year to become established. Bulbs should be planted fairly deeply. Bulbs can be obtained by division of the clumps.

Its other names

Local names

Guhbizin

Synonyms

Allium latifolium (Jaub. & Spach.);