OVERVIEW
There are literally hundreds of named garlic varieties! However, they all divide into two subspecies typically called hardneck and softneck. The farther north you plant, the easier it is to grow hardneck garlics and the farther south you plant the easier it is to grow softneck garlics. What people call supermarket garlic is usually grown in southern China or California and is from the softneck subspecies. Within these two subspecies, there are further divisions into ten fairly distinct varietal groups such as Porcelain, Purple Stripe, Artichoke, Rocambole, etc. Hardneck garlics are the earliest cultivated garlics as determined by genetic testing and originally come from the Caucasus Mountains in central Asia. Hardneck garlics are called hardneck because they produce a stiff flower stalk called a scape while softneck garlics do not. The scape is typically removed to promote maximum bulb growth and fortunately is a tasty treat which you can read about by clicking HERE.
Garlic varieties differ a lot in size, color, shape, taste, and number of cloves per head. Garlic is also quite sensitive to soil and climatic conditions and an identically named garlic can be quite different from farm to farm. You can even find significant differences year-to-year in the same location similar to how grape wine varietals change every year. On top of all that, the same garlic tastes differently to different people as you can see when you look at our taste tests. Again, this is similar to how people react differently to the same wine or beer.
At Plum Creek Garlic we focus on hardneck garlics because they are the most reliable producers in Minnesota. We also think hardneck garlics have the most interesting flavors. And although we like to experiment with new varieties because it is a lot of fun, below are the five garlic varieties we emphasize on our farm.
Four of our garlic varieties, Germain Porcelain, Georgian Crystal, Armenian and Music are in the Porcelain varietal group. These garlics tend to have very white outer wrappers (hence the name) and four to six large cloves in each head. All four are very mild when cooked but quite strong when raw. Our fifth garlic variety, Deerfield Purple, comes from the Purple Stripe varietal group. As the name suggests, it usually has purple striped outer wrappers. It also typically has double the number of cloves per head at eight to twelve compared to the Porcelain varieties. Slightly milder when raw compared to the Porcelain varieties, it holds its flavor well when cooked.
GERMAN PORCELAIN: Also known as German White, Northern White or German Extra Hardy, this northern garlic thrives in Minnesota and has a reputation for a bit more heat than other porcelains. It tends to produce the largest bulbs of all the garlic we grow.
GEORGIAN CRYSTAL: A strong ‘bite’ when eaten raw and a smooth buttery flavor when roasted. Like most of the porcelain garlic varieties, it is a good keeper. Georgian Crystal is originally from the former East Germany Gatersleben Seed Bank and was known as Cichisdzhvari #4 for the region between the Black and Caspian Seas. Try pronouncing that while you are enjoying this wonderful garlic.
ARMENIAN: The Armenian bulbs tend to have a few, large cloves and they go with almost anything. Excellent roasted by itself or added to a variety of dishes. Like many porcelain garlics, Armenian is quite strong when raw.
MUSIC: Probably the most popular hardneck variety. Named after Al Music, a Canadian that brought this garlic to Ontario in the 1980’s. This is a very hardy porcelain variety with 4-6 cloves per head. Sometimes you see this garlic spelled Musik or even Musica and if you are really into trivia you need to pronounce Music with a soft ending (‘ich’) since Al Music came from Bosnia originally.
DEERFIELD PURPLE: This is a purple stripe garlic and quite beautiful to look at. Milder than some when raw, it holds its flavor well when roasted. Double the number of cloves from any porcelain garlic at 8-12 cloves per head typically. This is a newer variety in the USA that comes originally from Vietnam via a USDA seed bank in eastern Washington and then via a farm in Oregon that named it after themselves since the seed bank only gave it a number. We are pleased to have been the first grower in the Midwest to try this variety.