Sirmo (Album Spp.), Wild Herb Species Used in Herby Cheese

Abstract

There are several herbs used in herby cheese production in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions in Turkey. Sirmo (Allium spp.), known as wild garlic, is the most widely known herb among them. Sirmo is collected before flowering in the spring of the surrounding country land and is added into the herby cheese whilst fresh or pickled with other herbs (mostly belongs to Apiaceae). The above-ground parts of Sirmo plants other than bulb and flowers are collected while budding, sliced into 1-3 cm pieces, and added into herby cheese. Some Sirmo species are used in the region as vegetables and spices. There are at least eight Sirmo species (Allium atroviolaceum, A. aucheri, A. cardiostemon, A. fuscoviolaceum, A. paniculatum, A. schoenoprasum L., A. scorodoprasum L. subsp. rotundum, and A. vineale L.) widely used in herby cheese. Sirmo gives a special flavor to herby cheese and it has the highest vitamin C content among other herbs. Sirmo has one of the highest total antioxidant capacities in trolox equivalents of herbs used in herby cheese. Conditions might activate some pathogens in traditionally produced herby cheese. However, studies indicate that Sirmo species have inhibitory effect on these pathogens. Sirmo positively affects some beneficial microbial activity in herby cheese and could increase its nutritional content. The majority of Sirmo species commonly used in herby cheese in the region has not yet been cultivated and there is lack of information about their cultivation possibilities. In addition, there is no established standard for the use of Sirmo as well as other herbs in cheese production. This review gives information about these wild Allium spp. used in herby cheese and discusses their future.