Varieties of garlic: the best 4 types | 6 mild varieties

Garlic not only gives dishes a tasty aroma, but also has a positive effect on health. Whether it also protects against hungry vampires remains to be seen. After all, there are also many mild varieties in addition to the hot types of garlic. They are characterized by a subtle taste and smell. Anyway, the chef is more concerned with matching the spiciness to the recipe thanks to the different types of garlic. Which of the following types tastes best, everyone decides according to their own taste.

types of garlic

Botanists divide Allium sativum into four different varieties, which in turn produce diverse varieties. Only the elephant garlic has no sub-varieties.

Note: All four species mentioned can be grown wonderfully in your own garden.

Common garlic (Allium sativum)

The common garlic is the most common type of garlic and is therefore the most common in German cuisine. It has the typical garlic shape with a bulb consisting of several cloves and a pointed stalk. The individual toes reach an average size of 5 to 15 cm. The outer skin has a white to reddish hue and can be easily peeled off. But not only this property makes the common garlic a culinary favorite. Its aroma usually shows an intense spiciness and is anything but mild to be precise.

Hot common garlic varieties include:

purple garlic

The Ajo Morado lives up to its origin with its sharpness. It almost seems as if the Spanish temperament of the garlic variety is sluggish under the red-violet outer skin.

pink garlic

The Ajo Rosa also comes from Spain. Its distinguishing feature is the pink color of its tuber tip.

Aquila

The spicy garlic variety Aquila comes from southern Europe, more precisely from Italy. This specimen also looks good with its white and purple stripes.

Arno

Arno is consistently white in color and is one of the old varieties of garlic. Its crop yields are bountiful and promising. He also inspires with rapid growth.

Beautiful Italy

Bella Italia comes fresh and aromatic from Tuscany.

Cledor

Cledor comes from France, the land of connoisseurs. No wonder it has a wonderfully intense aroma. Although the white bulb ripens very slowly, it can be stored for longer.

German porcelain

Due to its unique taste, German porcelain enjoys many lovers. At first glance, however, the conventional garlic shape with the usual four cloves does not give any indication of the taste experience. But the old garlic variety has even more advantages:

  • easy propagation
  • easy-care
  • hardy

Edenrose

Does the delicate pink coloring of the Eden rose give it its romantic name? Or is it more due to the spicy taste with a slight sweetness in the finish?

Tip: The leaves and inflorescences of this garlic variety also taste delicious.

Germidour

Germidour is considered the king of garlic varieties. It is purple and white patterned and has pink toes. Germidour is not only hardy, but also very resistant as a whole. It ripens early in the year and has a long shelf life. Connoisseurs appreciate its pleasant flavor.

Koreanischer Bauer

The Korean farmer comes from Asia, but does not belong to the Chinese garlic species. The old variety is anything but mild and gives Asian dishes the right spiciness.

Polish Softneck

Originally from America, the Polish Softneck is an old variety and very popular because of its resistance to cooking. In addition, it proves to be easy to cultivate and has a slightly peppery taste.

Rosa

The intense red color gave it its name. Rosa delights with high crop yields.

Thermidrom

The Thermidrom variety with its purple veins on the outer skin has all the advantages for home cultivation:

  • robust
  • ertragreich
  • and long lasting

Vivalto

The pink Vivalto is ready to harvest from July. The old variety promises a rich yield and is also easy to care for.

Note: In addition to being used as food, garlic is used as an insect repellent due to its pungent smell and is a tried and tested household remedy for symptoms of illness.

Snake Garlic (Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon)

At first glance, the snake garlic is not recognizable as Allium sativum for the layman. Its shape is more like a leek. From a certain length, the thin, green shoots also grow in a spiral shape – similar to a coiling snake’s body. In contrast to the related common garlic, snake garlic tastes pleasantly mild. It is even used in raw food dishes.

Note: This type of garlic mainly produces the mild garlic varieties mentioned below.

Mild garlic varieties

Chesnok wight

The Briton from the Isle of Wight has a strong aroma despite its mildness. When using it, the gardener only has to fry it briefly. It is also suitable for raw consumption.

Fat Leaf

Fat Leaf is not only a taste but also a visual highlight. It has lush, green, fleshy leaves that are up to 30 cm long. Its taste is juicy, fresh and aromatic. Fat Leaf also hardly smells.

Kobold

The chive garlic is a rather small type of garlic with white flowers. It also tastes wonderfully fresh.

Tip: Thanks to its small growth height, this type of garlic is ideal for growing on the windowsill.

Someone

Neko is a chive garlic with a particularly fast growth. It does not produce bad breath and its taste is reminiscent of chives.

roulade

The old variety from Italy has the typical shape of a snake garlic. The gardener should process it quickly after harvest.

Silverskin

Silverskin from America, on the other hand, has a long shelf life and has a pleasant aroma.

Note: In particular for the varieties of common garlic, the longer the harvested cloves mature, the hotter they become.

Chinese Garlic (Allium tuberosum)

As the name suggests, this garlic species comes from Asia. Although Far Eastern cuisine is characterized by its spicy dishes, this type is also rather mild in taste. This also results in the advantage that Chinese garlic neither leaves a fur on the tongue nor causes bad breath. However, the species, also known as chives in Europe, has not yet fully established itself on the market. So far only a few sub-varieties are available. Chinese garlic, like common garlic, is extremely easy to peel. Perhaps its unfamiliarity is simply due to its deviant form. The Chinese garlic forms only a single clove and no bulb.

Averio

Averio is a so-called solo garlic. In other words, it only forms a toe. Thus it resembles the onion. It is therefore a Chinese garlic, the shape of which is reminiscent of a leek. Averio is from Portugal.

Monstrosum

Monstrosum lives up to its name with a size of up to 80 cm. Other characteristics are its flat stalks and the pleasant smell of garlic. Thanks to its fresh aroma, it goes wonderfully with Asian cuisine.

Tip: The garlic variety monstrosum not only impresses with its tasty cloves. The flower is considered a special delicacy.

Elephant Garlic (Allium ampeloprasum)

The elephant garlic is unique among the garlic species. It is also known as giant garlic and does not form any sub-varieties. Its tubers, which are up to 7 cm in size, can weigh up to 60 kg. The foliage reaches a length of 1.5 cm. Thus, the elephant garlic resembles the leek and, from a botanical point of view, is more like field garlic. Especially beginners enjoy its robustness and undemanding in terms of their own cultivation.

Tip: The elephant garlic can be processed like vegetables.

Kira Bellingham

I'm a homes writer and editor with more than 20 years' experience in publishing. I have worked across many titles, including Ideal Home and, of course, Homes & Gardens. My day job is as Chief Group Sub Editor across the homes and interiors titles in the group. This has given me broad experience in interiors advice on just about every subject. I'm obsessed with interiors and delighted to be part of the Homes & Gardens team.

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