one of the various forms of Allium ampeloprasum, is also called giant or Levant garlic. It is more closely related to the leek than to garlic. However, it has large bulbs and cloves resembling those of garlic in shape and structure, and a mild garlic flavour, and these similarities account for its common name. One cultivar bears the official name Elephant, and it can produce heads weighing as much as 450 g (1 lb) each. The plant originated in the Levant, and can be grown in the same conditions as garlic. It is cultivated commercially in the USA.
Elephant garlic can be baked as a vegetable, or sliced into salads.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
