Ramps
In Appalachian speech, "ramps" are wild onions that grow in the mountains each spring. Pungent and flavorful, they’re more than food - they’re a tradition tied to foraging, festivals, and country suppers.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
Oh those 'ramps' are a rare delicacy. I haven't had a mess of them in years, but that's mainly because I can't find any. Hillbilly Dude Says...
Oh those 'ramps' are a rare delicacy. I haven't had a mess of them in years, but that's mainly because I can't find any. Pronunciation
[RAMPs]
Meaning & Usage
- A wild onion (Allium tricoccum) (noun)
Mae:
What you got in that sack?
What you got in that sack?
Earl:
A mess of ramps I dug this mornin’.
A mess of ramps I dug this mornin’.- A mountain food tradition (noun, figurative)
Mae:
Crowd’s thick today.
Crowd’s thick today.
Earl:
Nothin’ draws folks like a good ramp supper.
Nothin’ draws folks like a good ramp supper.variations: wild leeks, wild onions, spring onions (regional overlap), mess of ramps, ramp supper, fried taters and ramps
★ Ramps have a strong smell - so strong that old jokes say you can spot who’s been eatin’ ’em from a mile away. But in the mountains, that scent means springtime. ★
Origin and Etymology
The word "ramp" comes from the Old English "ramson," a type of wild garlic. In Appalachia, it stuck to the local wild leek, which mountain families prized each spring as one of the first fresh greens after winter.
Usage Notes
Deeply rooted in Appalachian culture, especially in West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Outside the region, chefs may prize ramps as gourmet, but in the mountains they’re plain food and tradition.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "ramps." In mountain talk, it’s quick and flat: "ramps," never "wild leeks."