{"id":14436,"date":"2017-10-17T11:38:11","date_gmt":"2017-10-17T09:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.edimentals.com\/blog\/?p=14436"},"modified":"2021-09-02T14:00:20","modified_gmt":"2021-09-02T12:00:20","slug":"14436","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.edimentals.com\/blog\/?p=14436","title":{"rendered":"The Roof Onions of Gudbrandsdalen in Norway"},"content":{"rendered":"

On 3rd July 2009, local historian Geir Neverdal invited me on a tour\u00a0to witness first hand the old traditional onion roofs of Gudbrandsdalen near the town of Otta. I had first heard of Geir through the following web site about these very special old turf roofs on which Allium fistulosum \/ welsh onion \/ pipel\u00f8k had been planted as a protection against fire (the leaves are succulent even in very dry conditions and this Siberian species is extremely hardy and drought tolerant): http:\/\/www.otta2000.com\/Diverse\/Pipeloek\/pipeloek.htm<\/a>. The onions were also traditionally harvested in spring and used in scrambled egg and other dishes.<\/p>\n

He had arranged visits to 5 different farms near Otta and V\u00e5g\u00e5.\u00a0\u00a0Two local botanists had also been invited along: Hans Petter Schwencke and\u00a0 Bj\u00f8rn Engehagen.<\/p>\n

One Norwegian botanist thinks that as these roof onions have developed over such a long time in this very special environment that they should be lifted to species level. I suggest Allium gudbrandsdaliensis ;)<\/p>\n

Geir also blogged about the tour here\u00a0http:\/\/www.otta2000.com\/Diverse\/Pipeloek\/pipeloek.htm#Prosjektleder_<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Below are a series of pictures from these farms: S\u00f8re Breden where owners Knut Roms\u00e5s Breden og Eldri Seim met us; Hole; Nordre Gjetsiden;\u00a0 Ner\u00f8ygarden (where Ingrid Dokken and her husband met us)and, finally,\u00a0\u00a0Sve G\u00e5rd in V\u00e5g\u00e5 kommune where farmer Harald Bj\u00f8rndal showed us around. At the bottom is a document in Norwegian which I wrote after the visit. The story of these onions is also told in my book Around the World in 80 plants<\/em>!<\/p>\n