Allium sativum, is the onion genus, with about 1250 species, making it one of the largest plant genera in the world. It has a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking.


Allium grows in the wild in areas where it has become naturalized. I first came in contact with it in the Mediterranean. It grows in the dunes and rocky cliffs near the shore line and in great abundance.

Garlic is widely used around the world for its flavor, as a seasoning or condiment as well as for medicinal purposes. Garlic is essential to several Mediterranean dishes such as aioli of Provence and Spain, and ajoblanco, a refreshing cold Spanish soup made by blending garlic, ground almonds, olive oil and soaked bread.

These were photographed on the shore of a Mediterranean beach where they are often "picked" at the end of a beach day to be taken home and used in cooking and dried flower arrangements. This wild garlic is much more mellow in flavor than traditional commercial garlic and is favored by many for just that reason.


The original photo, also displayed here, was processed in Photoshop and Studio Artist to bring out the texture of the flower heads, perk up the color and to add depth and dimension against the sea in order to render the final image.