Types Of Garlic
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There are more than a few types of garlic you can get from a farmer market and use in recipes.
HOW MANY TYPES OF GARLIC ARE THERE? Garlic is divided into two main subspecies: the softneck (Allium sativum sativum) and the hardneck (Allium stivum ophioscorodon). There are at least two major varieties under the softneck subspecies and nine under the hardneck subspecies. Each variety has various name selections , which vary in flavor more than you might think.
Both subspecies grow cloves in the ground, but the flavors vary in suitable growing conditions and climates. One thing that is commonly true about garlic is that all types seemly pair well with all common cooking applications. Additionally, all garlic varieties share the same medicinal properties.
HARDNECK GARLIC: The hard-neck variety develops stiff stalks that grow tiny aerial cloves called bulbils in a process called bolting. The stiff stalks that are sometimes tender coil down to look like long, curly beans called garlic scapes. Hard-neck variety garlic has been originally developed from wild garlics. Hard-neck garlic is characterized by fewer large cloves that come in a wider range of colors and strong flavors. In addition to larger cloves, the hard-necks are also quite easy to peel. A common practice with hard-necks dictates that stalks should be trimmed under sunny conditions to focus all growth energy into the garlic bulbs.
Rocambole: If you want to grow garlic, rocambole garlic can give you the most flavor. The cloves on rocambole garlic are a little bit brownish, but they have a rich, sweet flavor. Rocambole garlic stalks uniquely form loops near the top. The only downside to this garlic variety is its very short shelf life. Popular cultivars of the rocambole variety include Russian red and Spanish roja.
Creole: Creole garlic likes warm climates and produces red and purple garlic bulbs. They are not as large as other hard-necks, but they pack enough flavor and store pretty well. Creole hard-neck cultivars include the burgundy and the Creole red.
Purple Stripe: Purple stripe garlic has been around the Caucasus for thousands of years. They are considered the ancestors of other garlic varieties. The purple stripe variety has a rich, mild flavor, and the skin has vibrant purple stripes. Depending on the weather conditions, they can be quite silvery instead of that vivid purple hue.
Glazed Purple: Stripe Glazed purple stripe garlic has fewer cloves coming in varying sizes. Some cloves within the bulb do not grow as large as others, and the cloves do not share the same level of flavor as other hardneck varieties. This type of garlic has a strong, metallic appearance, usually silver with streaks of purple.
SOFTNECK GARLIC: On the other hand, the softneck subspecies initially came from hardneck varieties. Garlic varieties from the soft necked subspecies do not grow the flower stalk that is very obvious in hard necked varieties. Instead, they grow soft stalks that are easy to braid. With smaller, hard-to-peel cloves, softnecks often give out a spice flavor. Softnecks mature faster than hadrnecks, and they produce more cloves per plant. Because of these properties, softnecks are more commercially grown than hardnecks. They are what you commonly find in grocery stores.
Silverskin Garlic: Silverskin cloves tend to sprout later than artichoke cloves. The cloves are usually white and shaped like teardrops. Silverskin garlic are the cultivar with the most extended shelf-life.
Artichoke Garlic: Artichoke garlic is the most common variety of garlic you can find in grocery stores. Its cloves are larger than silverskin garlic, but they look flat compared to the cloves of other types. You can harvest artichoke garlic earlier in the season. They grow fast because of their capability to adapt to different growing conditions and soil types.
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