For a true garlic connoisseur, trying the rarest garlic varieties is the highlight of their taste bud portfolio. For the casual but adventurous garlic lover like me, it’s a flavor experience worth exploring at least once.
A couple of other articles you may be interested in when you are done with this one:
20 Best Garlic Varieties You Need to Try & Start Planting
26 Best Garlic Varieties to Plant in Zone 5 Easily
Here are a few unique kinds of garlic you should really try when you get the chance:
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Table of contents
1. Amish Rocambole/Amish White
- What are its distinct features? It has brown-purple layers, which can be vaguely seen through its papery white outer layer.
- How long can it be stored? About 4-6 months.
- What is its flavor profile? It has a ridiculously intense and hot flavor that lingers! Perfect for Taco Tuesdays.
- What’s the story behind it? It was cultivated by an Amish community in Wisconsin for well over 40 years! Though some also say that it was brought over to America in the 1860s-1880s.
2. Chamisal
- What are its distinct features? It has the satiny white shine of a Porcelain garlic type with brown-covered cloves.
- How long can it be stored? About 4-5 months.
- What is its flavor profile? It has just the right heat and spice to keep you wanting more. It also comes with a complex flavor burst of wild garlic in every bite.
- What’s the story behind it? It was first discovered in New Mexico by the Sangre de Cristo creek banks. Because of the location, it’s a treat to find them in the wild, especially for their one-of-a-kind flavor.
3. Italian Red
- What are its distinct features? It has bright white outer layer wrappings with occasional purple streaks in its inner layers.
- How long can it be stored? About 5-6 months.
- What is its flavor profile? It has a subtle heat with complex flavors that turns nutty and buttery once cooked.
- What’s the story behind it? Its origins come from somewhere in Southern Italy. Honestly, any food out of Italy is bound to be good. *See flavor profile of this garlic for proof.*
4. Italian Rocambole
- What are its distinct features? It typically has white skin with a pink or purple blush on its outer layers.
- How long can it be stored? About 5-6 months.
- What is its flavor profile? It has a robust garlic flavor and none of the spiciness that most garlic has. Perfect for people who can’t handle the heat.
- What’s the story behind it? This garlic came from the northern parts of Italy and was brought over to the US sometime 100 years ago. Most people love this variety because it is well-known for its easy peeling nature. The downside of that is it doesn’t store for very long.
5. Pehoski
- What are its distinct features? It has vibrant purple stripes all over its white outer layer.
- How long can it be stored? About 7-8 months.
- What is its flavor profile? It has a complex board of flavors – from your typical kick-in-the-face heat when eaten raw to a creamy flair of elegance when it’s roasted.
- What’s the story behind it? This was a heirloom garlic that got passed down in a Polish community in Wisconsin. Chris Pehoski figured this garlic was something else. So he improved, cultivated, and later on shared this gem of a garlic with the world.
6. Rose de Lautrec
- What are its distinct features? It has deep red or purple colors on its cloves, while the outside seems ordinary white.
- How long can it be stored? About 6-8 months.
- What is its flavor profile? It’s kind of hard to describe its taste; it has this richness to it that people crave. Apparently, using it to make pesto or garlic butter gives it a whole other dimension of flavors.
- What’s the story behind it? This garlic came from a specific region in France. The flavor in its homeland is so distinct that it cannot be replicated in the US although it has been cultivated in Wisconsin for years.
7. Cuban purple/Rojo de Castro
- What are its distinct features? It has the darkest purple color of all among all other garlic varieties.
- How long can it be stored? About 7-8 months.
- What is its flavor profile? It doesn’t have the characteristic pungent garlic flavor, but it’s earthy.
- What’s the story behind it? Its history seems to stem from Spanish explorers traveling across the globe searching for a new world and home to call their own. I guess bringing the garlic along reminds them of home.
8. Ajo Rojo
- What are its distinct features? This garlic is almost entirely red in color.
- How long can it be stored? About 7-8 months.
- What is its flavor profile? It has an intense garlic flavor that tends to vary between seasons. Some days it’s “BAM, IT IS I, GARLIC!” Other days, it’s “… garlic here.”
- What’s the story behind it? It is a garlic native to Europe and Spain brought over to Nevada, USA, in the early 1990s. Its name, when translated directly from Spanish, means ‘Red Garlic’.
9. Burgundy
- What are its distinct features? It is almost entirely purple in color.
- How long can it be stored? About 7-8 months.
- What is its flavor profile? It has a full flavor with very little pungency to it and medium heat.
- What’s the story behind it? This garlic is apparently so old and has been around for so long that its origins are unknown. Sounds suspiciously like Dracula.
10. Creole Red
- What are its distinct features? It has vibrant purple stripes all over its barely white outer layer.
- How long can it be stored? About 7-8 months.
- What is its flavor profile? It has a full robust garlic flavor with moderate heat that is just enough to not hurt your tongue, even when eaten raw.
- What’s the story behind it? Similar to Burgundy garlic, the origins of this garlic are unknown as well. It’s actually a funny story – it got its name simply because it is part of the Creole garlic variety, and it’s red color. Hence, the Creole Red was born.
11. Aglio Rosso/Rosso di Sulmona
- What are its distinct features? On the outside, it has papery white skin. But once you peel that off, you will see some of the reddest layers and cloves ever in a garlic.
- How long can it be stored? Up to a year.
- What is its flavor profile? It has a musky but mellow taste overall.
- What’s the story behind it? This garlic came from Central Italy in a small region called Abruzzo just outside Sulmona. When translated directly from Italian, this garlic’s name means ‘Red Garlic’.
If you are interested in veggies that keep coming back every year and don’t need to be replanted, check out this article of ours:
20 Best Perennial Vegetables to Grow in Zone 5 Easily
And there you have it – rare garlic you should definitely give a go sometime in the future, whether in aglio olio, on bread, or on its own! 😀
References:
https://keeneorganics.com/product/amish-rocambole-naturally-grown-garlic-bulbs/
https://store.underwoodgardens.com/Amish-Garlic-Allium-sativum/productinfo/V1504/
https://bjgarlic.com/product/italian-red/
https://hoodrivergarlic.com/product/chets-italian-red/
https://keeneorganics.com/product/italian-rocambole-certified-organic-garlic-bulb/
https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1032/#b
https://keeneorganics.com/product/pehoski-purple-naturally-grown-garlic-bulbs/
http://www.rasacreekfarm.com/organic-seed-garlic-catalog/creole/rose-de-lautrec
https://www.fedcoseeds.com/bulbs/italian-easy-peel-eco-hardneck-rocambole-garlic-6237
https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/Ajo_Rojo_Garlic_9080.php
Red seems to be the answer …’
Thanks
Joe Lieb