Allium porrum
Leek ‘Musselburgh’
Kathleen Munro
Watercolour
Artwork size in cm, 46 x 36
£500.00
The Musselburgh heirloom leek variety was developed by Dutch immigrants residing in Scotland during the late 18th century and named for the Scottish town of Musselburgh. It is reported to have been introduced in 1834 and is thought to be a descendant of a French leek named Gros-Court, a huge variety cultivated by a market gardener near Paris who found it on a farm near Rouen. It differs from the ‘London leek’ in that it is a shorter variety with thick white stems.
Musselburgh, the oldest named town in Scotland, is a coastal market town on the Firth of Forth about 6 miles east of Edinburgh and 4 miles from Tranent. Production of the Musselburgh leek within Scotland is currently at low levels, but there are signs of slight local resurgence. Currently, they are mainly available in seed or plant form. The availability of fresh leeks on the market ready for consumers is very limited resulting in many consumers being unaware of their existence, which in turn creates a very low demand for the vegetable considering their important history.
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Please note: Paintings will be on display at the V&A Dundee until the end of July, so a pickup after that date can be arranged.
