Authors

Ted Jordan Meredith

Ted Jordan Meredith has written books on viticulture, oenology, wine appreciation and bamboo. His Bamboo for Gardens (Timber Press 2001) was awarded the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries Literature Award and The New York Times Editor’s Choice for Best Books for Gardening. A native of Montana, U.S., Ted recalls the daring use of fresh garlic in the family kitchen. In later years, as his interest in cooking grew, Ted enthusiastically incorporated garlic into much of his cuisine but initially regarded garlic as a supermarket commodity with little distinction. It was at a farmers’ market that he purchased a few heads of a Rocambole garlic, ’Spanish Roja’. Ted realized then that all garlic was not the same, and he never looked back, voraciously exploring a new-found world of hundreds of cultivars in nearly a dozen different horticultural groups.

Timber Press: From a culinary standpoint, are the differences between garlic cultivars really noticeable?

Ted Jordan Meredith: Yes, they are. The differences among garlic's eleven horticultural groups are the most prominent. The differences among the cultivars within the horticultural groups are more subtle. I don't want to oversell the culinary differences among the various garlic cultivars, but I don't want to undersell them either. For so long our choice in garlic has largely been limited to the monotype we find in the grocery store. Discovering the multitude of cultivars is really a revelation.

TP: Are the differences in the taste of various garlic cultivars as apparent as the differences between say the taste of a Red Delicious apple and a Granny Smith apple?

TJM: I would say no. The differences in flavor are probably closer in degree to the differences in flavor one encounters in varieties of carrots, onions, beans, beets, corn, and the like. As with garlic, if we grow these vegetables ourselves or purchase them at farmers markets we are much more aware of the flavor differences and choices among the different varieties.

If, for example, you have ever grown or purchased some of the finer varieties of pole beans, you never want to go back to commercial bush beans from the grocery store. Similarly, if you grow or purchase some of the finer Rocambole or Purple Stripe garlic cultivars, you never want to go back to grocery store garlic either.

TP: Are different garlic cultivars suited to different purposes?

TJM: Yes. For salad dressings that include crushed raw garlic, I like a garlic that is richly flavored, but not overly hot. Rocambole cultivars, such as 'Spanish Roja', 'Russian Red', and 'Carpathian' fit the bill perfectly. Storage also becomes a factor in choosing garlic. Rocamboles, for example, do not store very long, so after they are gone I switch to a Purple Stripe cultivar such as 'Shvelisi' for the same purpose, then when the Purple Stripes are at the end of their storage life, I switch to 'Ajo Rojo' or one of the "sweeter" of the Creoles, such as 'Burgundy'.

Purple Stripe cultivars, such as 'Shvelisi', 'Samarkand', and 'Shatili' are strongly and complexly flavored, but not overly sulfurous or aggressive, and work well minced and sautéed in Continental cuisines.

The large-cloved and somewhat more aggressive Marbled Purple Stripe and Porcelain cultivars such as 'Bogatyr' and 'Romanian Red' are good choices for spicy Asian dishes where a greater amount of more aggressively flavored garlic works well.

In early summer, when most of the garlic from last year's crop is past its prime, the early harvested Turban cultivars such as 'Shandong' and 'Luster' are most welcome. They do not have particularly complex flavors, but their juicy freshness clarion taste is a pleasure. I often use them in the manner of my favorite Thai restaurant — coarsely chopped in large quantities, so that the garlic is a part of the vegetable medley.

These are a few examples among many, and of course, everyone has their own favorites and favorite ways of cooking.

TP: What's the best way to store garlic?

TJM: First, provide good air circulation so molds do not form. Plastic bags are bad. Open baskets and netted bags are good.

Next, let's look at the factors that affect storage:

In storage, garlic will eventually deteriorate by sprouting, by drying out, or both. Garlic should be stored above 50° F (10°C) or it will sprout. Above 68°F (20°C) drying and shrinkage increases significantly. Low humidity also causes increased drying and shrinkage, but humidity above 70% will cause roots to emerge and encourage molds.

In general, most garlic stores best at 56°F to 58°F (13°C to 14°C) at a relative humidity of 45 to 50%, conditions fairly similar to those of a good wine cellar. Unfortunately, most of us do not have a good traditional wine cellar. However, unless the humidity is too low, garlic will store reasonably well in the average kitchen. Of course, if you have a storage area that more closely approximates the ideal, by all means take advantage of it.

TP: Does garlic have proven health benefits?

TJM: Yes, garlic has numerous well-documented health benefits. Garlic has played a major role in folk medicines for many thousands of years, and scientific studies have identified and validated numerous therapeutic benefits.

In the 1800s, Louis Pasteur was the first to describe the antibacterial effect of garlic juices. In the 1900s, the renowned German physician Albert Schweitzer treated amoebic dysentery in Africa using only garlic. Subsequently, there have been literally thousands of scientific studies documenting garlic's therapeutic benefits.

Among the therapeutic benefits, garlic can be an effective antibiotic on bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. It can benefit many aspects of cardiovascular health, including blood pressure, heart rhythm, and clotting. Garlic is an antioxidant and a hypoglycemic agent. Garlic can reduce the risk of stomach and colon cancer, and enhances the body's immune system. These are some examples of garlic's numerous therapeutic benefits.

Many of garlic's therapeutic benefits are associated with the compound allicin and its derivatives. Allicin is present in crushed raw garlic, but is destroyed in cooking. Nonetheless, even cooked garlic has therapeutic benefit. Garlic's numerous sulfur compounds are thought to act synergistically for therapeutic effect.