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Elephant Garlic

 
Elephant Garlic

 
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Elephant Garlic
 
 
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Elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) is a variety of garlic
Garlic

Allium sativum L., commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, and chive....
 with very large cloves and a tender, mild, slightly sweet flavor. Many grocers stock elephant garlic when it is in season, and it is also very easy to grow at home.

Type
Technically, elephant garlic is not garlic at all. It is actually a leek
Leek

The leek, Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum , also sometimes known as Allium porrum, is a vegetable which belongs, along with the onion and garlic, to the Alliaceae family....
, although it looks distinctly like garlic since garlic is a member of the leek family.






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Elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) is a variety of garlic
Garlic

Allium sativum L., commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, and chive....
 with very large cloves and a tender, mild, slightly sweet flavor. Many grocers stock elephant garlic when it is in season, and it is also very easy to grow at home.

Type


Technically, elephant garlic is not garlic at all. It is actually a leek
Leek

The leek, Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum , also sometimes known as Allium porrum, is a vegetable which belongs, along with the onion and garlic, to the Alliaceae family....
, although it looks distinctly like garlic since garlic is a member of the leek family. Unlike other leeks, elephant garlic has been bred to produce larger edible cloves underground, with less of a focus on the green stalks of the plant. When allowed to fully mature, elephant garlic can develop cloves which are as big as bulbs of regular garlic.

Flavor


The large size tricks some consumers into thinking that elephant garlic will have a large flavor. In fact, the flavor is actually quite delicate and complex, but it is also very mild, without the biting burn associated with true garlic. However, this mild flavor can be used to advantage, as elephant garlic is great raw in an assortment of foods, and it can be added to dishes at the last minute for a garlicky note. Care should be taken when cooking elephant garlic, as it can turn bitter if it is cooked too long.