Leeks have been cultivated since the time of the Ancient Egyptians. Dried specimens from ancient sites, as well as wall carvings and drawings, show that the leek was a part of the Egyptian diet from around the 2nd millennium B.C. Surviving texts show that leeks were also grown in Mesopotamia from about the same period.
The leek was the favorite vegetable of the Emperor Nero, who consumed it most often in soup. Nero got through so many that he gained the nickname Porophagus (leek eater). According to Pliny's "Historia Naturalis", Nero ate them prepared in oil, believing it would aid in maintaining the clarity of his voice.
Its introduction to the British Isles would elevate this simple garden-variety plant to a higher status as the national symbol for Wales. The Phoenicians are said to have been the first to bring leeks to Britain when trading tin with the Welsh where it soon became part of the staple diet.
In about 640 AD, when the Saxons were fighting the Welsh, King Cadwallader told his Welsh soldiers to wear leeks as a badge to distinguish themselves from their blood-thirsty opponents. To this day, the Welsh still wear a leek or a representation of one in their hats. When in war, leeks were thought to have aided in victory.
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