Is It Garlic or Is It Not?

Garlic is an ingredient that I am sure we all use in our kitchens. I have written a prior Cooking Tip on Garlic. However, there are less common garlic varieties and that is the subject of this Cooking Tip.

The garlic that we are all familiar with belongs to the genus allium and the species sativum. As I will show below, other types may be of the same genus but different species. There are two main types, or subspecies, of garlic. These are hard-necked garlic (Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon) and soft-necked garlic (Allium sativum var. sativum). There are a number of different varieties within these two subspecies, which will vary in size, color, aroma and flavor.

The soft-necked is what we normally find in our supermarkets.

Elephant Garlic

• The first thing to know is that this is not really garlic. It is really a member of the leek family. Elephant garlic belongs to species ampeloprasum, the same as leeks.
• It is two to three times larger than regular garlic but has fewer cloves. Regular garlic can have up to 20 cloves in a head where as elephant usually has no more than six.
• It has a milder flavor than regular garlic. It produces the same flavor compounds when crushed as regular garlic but less. So, it doesn’t taste as potent.
• Cooks Illustrated did a testing of both.
  • They first tried it in its raw form in aïoli. They found it had a “mild, garlicky and onion-like” flavor. That is not surprising given that it is related to leeks.
  • They also used it in soup, where it was simmered for a longer time. Here, they found the flavor was so mild that it disappeared.
  • Their conclusion was that it is not a substitute for regular garlic if you enjoy the flavor of garlic.
• Good uses for elephant garlic.
  • Raw dishes such as dips or vinaigrettes.
  • Roasted and served with bread or in a pesto or mashed potatoes.
  • Roasted and served with seafood, poultry or meat dishes.

Wild Garlic

• This plant is a different species than regular garlic although it is considered a wild cousin to regular garlic. It is part of the amaryllis family.
  • According to the Agricultural Research Service (part of the Department of Agriculture), true garlic in its wild form is grown “only in Central Asia today. Earlier in history garlic grew wild over a much larger region and, in fact, wild garlic may have occurred in an area from China to India to Egypt to the Ukraine.”
  • Outside of this “center of origin,” plants referred to as “wild garlic” will be of the allium genus but not the species sativum. Here in North America, what we call wild garlic is probably Allium vineale“.
• It is a favorite among foragers. It can be found mid-February to April and it grows in damp woodland and by shaded streams.
• It has dark green, wide, pointed leaves with a single flowering stem with a star-shaped white flower. Be careful if you are foraging as some look-alikes are poisonous.
• The aroma is of mild garlic and similar to chives.
• The entire plant is edible.
  • The bulbs can be use like an onion.
  • The early shoots are used as you would salad leaves or herbs.
  • The bigger leaves are chopped and eaten raw or cooked like spinach.
  • The stems are used like chives.
  • The flowers are sprinkled as a garnish.

Garlic Scapes

• These are the long, slender flower stems that grow from the top of hardneck garlic, which is the type that grows in colder climates.
• Farmers harvest these early in the year so the plant can then put its energy into growing the garlic bulb.
• They are hard to find outside of farmers’ markets or specialty food stores in late spring or early summer.
• The appearance is like a very long and curly green bean with a tapering tip.
• The taste is a muted garlic flavor. It can be grassy and similar to scallions.
• How to use garlic scapes.
  • Use them as you would green onions or chives.
  • It is recommended that the tips and bulb be cut off as they get mealy when cooked.
  • They can be a substitute for green beans in stir fries.
  • Tossed into omelets and frittatas.
  • Blended into a mild garlic butter.
  • They can add a very mild garlic flavor to pesto or dressings.

Green Garlic

• Other names are “spring garlic” or “baby garlic”.
• As the name implies, this is garlic that is harvested before maturity. It is available late winter to early summer with the peak being early spring. It is normally of the soft-neck variety.
• It started just as a result of farmers thinning their garlic crop. It subsequently became very popular and is now a considered its own crop.
• It looks similar to a green onion.
• It has a mild garlic flavor with onion notes.
• The aroma is of garlic but less pungent.
• To use, trim off the root ends and any tough leaves. You can then chop the white and light green leaves and the first few tender inches of the dark green leaves.
• You can substitute green garlic in recipes that call for onions, scallions or leeks.

Black Garlic

• This is regular garlic that has gone through an aging process. It has been made in Korea for a long time but only has been sold in the US since 2007.
• Traditionally, it was cooked at a low temperature for a period of months. Today’s process happens over days or weeks.
• The appearance can be a bit startling as the cloves are a deep, black color.
• The flavor is sweet and tangy, similar to molasses, tamarind or balsamic vinegar. The enzymes that result in the normal pungent garlic flavor/aroma are destroyed during the cooking process. This means that black garlic doesn’t taste like garlic.
• The texture is sticky but spreadable.
• Uses – The flavor is too subtle for normal garlic uses. Use it sauces, dressings, stews or as a condiment. Just do not expect a garlic-like flavor.

Have you ever tried any of these garlic varieties? What do you think? Let me know!