a name used erratically of more than one plant in the onion family. It sometimes refers to a form of true garlic, Allium sativum, Ophioscorodon group (the cumbrous style of classification now recommended), which has only a small basal bulb and tiny bulblets forming from the flower head, and is prized for its chive-like garlic-flavoured leaves. But it may also refer to A. scorodoprasum, sometimes called ‘sand leek’, which grows wild throughout Europe, often in dry, sandy, or rocky places, with bulbs which can be used like garlic but have a milder flavour.
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.
