Have you heard of this forgotten vegetable that grows naturally among the vines?

With the arrival of fine weather, the harvest is back in full swing. In the vineyards of the South-West, Julien Vanlerberghe doesn't harvest. His eyes are riveted to the ground. He's looking for baraganes. Founder of the delicatessen "Domaine Terra", he harvests this leek from the vines as early as March, "after that, it becomes too bitter". Based in Aquitaine since 2018, his cannery jars ingredients from local producers. "We want to showcase ingredients as well as artisan know-how," he says.

An uncultivated vegetable

Baragane, also known as "Allium ampeloprasum" or "vine leek" is a wild plant, "which is not cultivated at all," explains Julien Vanlerberghe. It grows in vineyards, particularly in organically cultivated plots with clay soil." This is the secret of this vegetable. Endemic to the Entre-deux-Mers region, it is also found in the Médoc, Lot-et-Garonne and Charentes.

Baraganes, much appreciated and widely consumed by older generations, disappeared with the rise of intensive agriculture. Nowadays, "wild leeks can be found on plots where the use of chemicals has been limited. And in areas where the soil has not been mechanically turned. Working the soil is important, but you also don't want other weeds to take over. according to this enthusiast of local culture,"these plants are neither sown nor planted; they are there naturally, but they are not invasive. It's the positive work of the winegrower that makes baragana thrive and thrive." The specialist discovered baragana through an interest in local history. A few years spent in Italy also inspired him to develop "slow food", a movement that promotes local foods.

As an aperitif or a main course

When he wanders through the vineyards of his South-West region, Julien Vanlerberghe only harvests the big grapes. He leaves the smaller ones to develop. These wild leeks can then be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Those sold by the Domaine Terra grocery store are picked at Château La Bastane, in Rions, and Château de Cranne, in Donzac. With a taste "somewhere between onion and leek", baragane can be eaten as an omelette, "like aillet and as our ancestors used to do". But Domaine Terra offers it as a marinade, to be enjoyed "like pickles". "We marinate them in a mixture of cider vinegar with a little sugar, mustard seeds, coriander seeds and Espelette pepper", adds the creator of the local grocery store.recommended pairing: enjoy this vegetable with a few thin slices of charcuterie.

To find them on restaurant menus, Julien Vanlerberghe invites chefs to harvest baraganes with him. "Chef Jérôme Schilling had some," he explains.