Best Garlic Types in the World
Jinxiang Da Suan is a white garlic grown in Jinxing County in China, where the loamy soil and good air favourably influence the growing conditions. Jinxing has been known as the Garlic capital of China since the 1980s, and the export of this unique product has taken up 70% of the total garlic market in the world in the past 20 years.
On the exterior, the garlic has a skin that is brightly white in colour and is of a standard, oblate shape. On the interior, there are from eight to eleven cloves with a slightly pungent fragrance and a mildly hot flavour. In some varieties of Jinxiang garlic, the contents of trace elements like selenium can be 60 times more than those of standard garlic.
Ajo Morado de Las Pedroñeras are the purple garlic bulbs grown in the in the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Toledo in the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha. Nutritionally, this garlic is different from that grown elsewhere because it contains more organosulfur compounds and allicin.
These compounds give garlic its characteristic smell and flavor and are thought to have antibiotic properties and could be beneficial for overall health. Ajo Morado de Las Pedroñeras is spicy, very flavorful and has an intense smell and aroma.
Taşköprü sarımsağı is a type of soft neck garlic that's produced in the administrative district of Taşköprü, meaning all stages of production, planting, harvesting, and drying, take place there. The Taşköprü garlic is a late variety with a long cultivation period.
It has a bulb weighing between 15 to 60 grams (1/2 - 2 oz), a characteristic bitter taste due to high selenium amounts, a strong smell, and can be stored for up to 10 months.
Araban sarımsağı is a specific variety of garlic grown in the Araban district of Gaziantep province in Türkiye. It is known for its large bulb, with an average head containing 10-15 cloves. The bulb and clove skins of Araban sarımsağı are white, with the clove flesh being a creamy yellow color.
It has an intense aroma and flavor, contributed to the specific climate and soil conditions of the Araban district. It has received a designation of protected origin (PDO) from the European Union.
Aglio di Resia is a traditional type of garlic originating from Resia in the province of Udine. The garlic is called strok in local dialect and it's valued for its great quality and intense aroma. Each small bulb contains from six to eight cloves that are covered in a pinkish-red skin.
In the center of the bulbs, there are no cloves. Aglio di Resia is harvested either in late July or in early August. The bulbs are traditionally woven into bundles and the garlic is stored that way until the end of winter. This type of garlic is very suitable for the production of cured meat due to its sweet flavor and the absence of acrid aromas that can be found in common garlic varieties.
Ail blanc de Lomagne is a white bulb grown in the clay and limestone soils of the French Gers and Tarn et Garonne regions since the 13th century. Lomagne garlic is amazingly fragrant, it has an intense flavor and quite a specific shape and appearance: all of the 8-12 cloves are evenly sized and creamy beige with occasional violet streaks.
When marketed, Lomagne white garlic must be dried and shaped in the traditional way - plaited into braids or packed in nets. Because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities, Ail Blanc de Lomagne is eaten raw or used for adding flavor to various dishes such as the famous Tourin, a type of French garlic soup.
Grown by planting only the finest, manually selected single cloves of Ferrara's local ecotype, Aglio di Voghiera is a variety of garlic known for its mildness and a refined flavor. In the fertile plains of the Po Valley, where the climate conditions are most favorable for onion and garlic cultivation, Aglio di Voghiera has been grown for centuries.
After harvesting, the bulbs are processed by hand and dried, labeled as Aglio di Voghiera Fresco/Verde (fresh), Semi-secco (semi-dried) or Secco (dry), and marketed in nets, bags or braided. Used in cooking, the sweet taste of Voghiera garlic adds a special touch to any gourmet dish.
Vrbički beli luk is a Serbian garlic variety originating from the Vrbica area. This authentic sort of spring garlic is planted by hand and is easily recognizable by small, yet dense bulbs. The flavor is hot and sharp, while the aroma is very strong.
When compared with other types of garlic, this one has a greater amount of essential oils and dry matter. The garlic has been produced in the area for a long time, and when properly stored, vrbički beli luk can keep its freshness and high-quality properties from 7 to 9 months.
The cultivation of garlic in the wider Polesine area goes back to the Roman times when garlic was the most widely spread crop. Due to its commercial importance throughout history, and the rise of industrial cultivation in the mid-1900s, Aglio Bianco Polesano has become known as the White Gold of Polesine.
It is still grown across the Veneto plains, locally known as 'the Land of the Great Rivers', nestled between Italy's two largest - Po and Adige. The Aglio Bianco Polesano was derived from a local ecotype and apart from its white color, this variety of garlic is distinguished by a unique, fruity aroma, less pungent than other varieties, and a delicate, fresh taste.
Ail de la Drôme is a large-sized, white garlic of the Messidrôme and Thermidrôme varieties, grown in the Drôme region in France. Messidrôme produces large white bulbs with a great flavor particularly suitable for cooking, while Thermidrôme produces ivory-white, hardy cloves of a medium intense flavor.
Both types have a characteristically sweet, fresh taste, a short aftertaste, and are soft on the palate. Ail de la Drôme is sold either fresh, dried or semi-dried. Once available only at the local farmers market in Valence, today it can be bought in many other places across the region, thanks to the Association of Drôme Garlic Producers.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.