Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
about. The first type grows with a strong central stem, which remains after drying. This is
called "hardneck" or rocambole garlic. It has the most varied and interesting flavors.
Through domestication, another family has been developed that lacks the strong central
stem. It is called "softneck" garlic and is the dominant commercial type. Softneck garlic is
easier to plant and grow, and it's certainly easier to pack and store. The trade-off is that the
flavor isn't as good and clove size can vary tremendously within the same head. Elephant
garlic is an entirely different species, close kin to the leek. Although it is large, its flavor
is so mild that it's called "garlic for people who don't like garlic."
Leeks look like giant green onions. Unlike their smaller relatives, however, they are
grown to full maturity. They retain their white bases by careful maintenance during the
growing season. As soon as a little white becomes visible on the stem, dirt is piled around
the leek. This shields it from sunlight, which in turn prevents the formation of chlorophyll
(which would add a vegetal note to the flavor). This continuous piling on of dirt tends to
make leeks extremely gritty; they must be washed thoroughly before you do anything with
them. But any effort required is more than repaid by the results. Once leeks have been
cooked, the flavor is deep and round, with a lingering sweetness. The texture is pure silk.
This is one regal allium.
WHERE THEY'RE GROWN: California is the predominant state for onion farm-
ing, whether you're talking about storage onions (more than 25 percent of the U.S. crop),
green onions (almost 50 percent) or garlic (more than 80 percent). Leeks and shallots are
not tracked. Imports are also an important part of the picture. More than 10 percent of
the storage onions consumed in the United States come from outside the country - mostly
Mexico, Canada and Peru. Americans also import more than 20 percent of all the garlic
used, with China accounting for more than half of that.
