“ Ramps…ever had em? “ he asked
“Well no…are they good ?”
“ Ah lovem…but ya cain’t eat em alone .” and so Alvin went on to explain that the strong wild growing, onion like plant has the power to create a breath that could be “smelt clean down to the creek .” And so I stood there chewing raw ramps and listening to Alvin explain that when he was a school child there was a separate area of desks so that children who had et ramps for supper the night before could be segregated from the others. And there was no doubt my breath could be “smelt clean down to the creak .”
That evenings plan was to go out to socialize at one of the few watering holes in town and four tooth brushings and a quarter bottle of Listerine before we went still left me with enough doubt to stop for a roll of Life Saver breath mints on the way.
Every one at the bar was very polite and waited a full 10 seconds after our entrance before exclaiming loudly and in unison…….
“ Ramps ! ”
That night I listened to an older gentleman explain that the last time he “smelt sumthin that strong was when five kids in his sixth grade class had all et ramps the night before .”
If life was a game of cards…..I would see your garlic breathing Italian….
And raise you one Hillbilly with a ramp.
