The origin of leeks is not very clear, although it seems to originate in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East, where they were already cultivated around 4000 years ago. They were also cultivated by the Egyptian and the Hebrews. The Romans introduced them in Great Britain, where it was highly appreciated. During the Middle Ages, leeks were one of the most popular foodstuffs in Europe.
The following table shows the countries with greater export of leeks. The main ones are Belgium, The Netherlands, France and China.
| Country | Tons |
|---|
| Belgium-Luxembourg | 54,837 |
| The Netherlands | 42,189 |
| France | 18,095 |
| China | 11,938 |
| Turkey | 9,330 |
| Mexico | 5,009 |
| Spain | 4,438 |
| Malaysia | 3,864 |
| The United States | 3,459 |
| Italy | 2,891 |
Source: FAO Trade Yearbook, 1999
The country with greater leek import is Germany, followed by Pakistan, Japan and France. The data of the 10 main export countries is gathered in the following table.
| Country | Tons |
|---|
| Germany | 44,888 |
| Pakistan | 35,224 |
| Japan | 29,537 |
| France | 20,309 |
| Sweden | 9,296 |
| The Netherlands | 8,994 |
| United Kingdom | 8,187 |
| Malaysia | 6,100 |
| Singapur | 5,865 |
| Belgium-Luxembourg | 4,657 |
Source: FAO Trade Yearbook, 2000
