Topic: Is American grown garlic... Just better?
Anonymous A started this discussion 2 weeks ago #117,612
Apparently Chinese garlic might have quality issues but it sounds too bad to be true.
dw !p9hU6ckyqw joined in and replied with this 2 weeks ago, 11 minutes later[^] [v] #1,294,348
The Chinese garlic takes a few years to get to America so it's not very fresh
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 2 weeks ago, 4 minutes later, 16 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #1,294,351
@previous (dw !p9hU6ckyqw)
I didn't even know that. I should just buy the freshest garlic, maybe I've been eating the wrong garlic my entire life 🤔
I didn't even know that. I should just buy the freshest garlic, maybe I've been eating the wrong garlic my entire life 🤔
Anonymous C joined in and replied with this 2 weeks ago, 1 hour later, 1 hour after the original post[^] [v] #1,294,356
California garlic is excellent.
Anonymous D joined in and replied with this 2 weeks ago, 6 hours later, 7 hours after the original post[^] [v] #1,294,397
Unless it was grown in the Garlic allium region of France, what you're referring to as Garlic is actually Sparkling Allium. Thanks.Anonymous E joined in and replied with this 2 weeks ago, 6 minutes later, 8 hours after the original post[^] [v] #1,294,398
@previous (D)
I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as garlic is in fact, wild garlic, or as I've recently taken to calling it, Allium ursinum plus flavor. Wild garlic is not just an ingredient unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning culinary garden made delightful by other herbs, spices, and fresh vegetables, all working together to make your dishes taste extraordinary.
Many home cooks enjoy the benefits of wild garlic every day without realizing it. Through a curious turn of events, the flavor enhancer that is widely used today is often called simply "garlic," and many of its fans may not realize that it is essentially wild garlic, found in the great outdoors.
There really is cultivated garlic, and these people are using it, but it is just one part of the culinary experience. Cultivated garlic is the bulb: the part of the plant that you chop, slice, or roast. The bulb is an essential part of your recipes, but it can only truly shine in the context of a complete dish. Garlic is normally used in combination with other ingredients: the whole recipe is essentially a flavor explosion with garlic added. All the so-called "garlic dishes" are really dishes of Allium ursinum plus flavor.
I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as garlic is in fact, wild garlic, or as I've recently taken to calling it, Allium ursinum plus flavor. Wild garlic is not just an ingredient unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning culinary garden made delightful by other herbs, spices, and fresh vegetables, all working together to make your dishes taste extraordinary.
Many home cooks enjoy the benefits of wild garlic every day without realizing it. Through a curious turn of events, the flavor enhancer that is widely used today is often called simply "garlic," and many of its fans may not realize that it is essentially wild garlic, found in the great outdoors.
There really is cultivated garlic, and these people are using it, but it is just one part of the culinary experience. Cultivated garlic is the bulb: the part of the plant that you chop, slice, or roast. The bulb is an essential part of your recipes, but it can only truly shine in the context of a complete dish. Garlic is normally used in combination with other ingredients: the whole recipe is essentially a flavor explosion with garlic added. All the so-called "garlic dishes" are really dishes of Allium ursinum plus flavor.
Anonymous F joined in and replied with this 2 weeks ago, 4 hours later, 12 hours after the original post[^] [v] #1,294,432
@previous (E)
No, Richard, it's 'Garlic', not 'Allium sativum'. The most important contributions that garlic made to cuisine were the enhancement of flavor and its health benefits. Those are fine and inspired qualities. Garlic is a monumental ingredient and has earned countless kudos and much appreciation.
Following are some reasons for you to mull over, including some already answered in your FAQ.
One chef, with a passion for flavor, used garlic to make his dishes (yes, garlic is an ingredient -- more on this later). He named it 'Garlic' with a little help from his culinary friends. Why doesn't he call it Allium sativum? Because he uses it, with more help from his culinary friends, not you. You named your dishes, I named my dishes -- including the dishes I made using garlic -- and the chef named his dishes. The proper name is garlic because the chef says so. The chef has spoken. Accept his authority. To do otherwise is to become a nag. You don't want to be known as a nag, do you?
(An ingredient) != (a dish). Garlic is an ingredient. By my definition, an ingredient is that component which provides and enhances flavor in a dish. That definition applies wherever you see garlic in use. However, garlic is usually included in a recipe with a collection of other ingredients to make it a complete dish, a gourmet masterpiece, or a comfort food, or whatever the chef desires. In such a configuration, we have a dish with garlic. Therein lies your strongest argument for the unwieldy title 'Allium sativum' (when said dish is largely made with garlic). Go bug the recipe makers on that one. Take your beef to Gordon Ramsay, Julia Child, and Jamie Oliver. At least there you have an argument. Garlic alone is an ingredient that can be used in various dishes without any other ingredients whatsoever. Garlic bread comes to mind as an obvious example.
Next, even if we limit the Allium sativum title to the dishes predominantly made with garlic, we run into another obvious problem. Olive oil may well be more important to a particular dish than the sum of all the garlic contributions. More properly, shouldn't the dish be called Olive oil/garlic? Or, at a minimum, Olive oil/Allium sativum? Of course, it would be rather arbitrary to draw the line there when many other fine ingredients go unlisted. Yes, I know you've heard this one before. Get used to it. You'll keep hearing it until you can cleanly counter it.
You seem to like the flavor metric. There are many dishes with garlic in a typical restaurant menu. You seem to suggest that (more garlic) == (more flavorful). However, I submit to you that raw garlic amounts do not directly correlate with flavor. I would suggest that the balance of flavors is a better metric. For example, if my dish is perfectly balanced with garlic, olive oil, and herbs, the garlic is probably the single most important ingredient in my dish. Even if I added ten times as much garlic to my dish, it certainly isn't more important than the balance of flavors. Obviously, this metric isn't perfect either, but raw garlic really, really sucks. Please refrain from using it ever again in supporting any argument.
Last, I'd like to point out that we garlic lovers shouldn't be fighting among ourselves over naming other people's ingredients. But what the heck, I'm in a bad mood now. I think I'm feeling sufficiently obnoxious to make the point that garlic is so very famous and, yes, so very useful only because of its culinary versatility. In a show of proper respect and gratitude, shouldn't you and everyone refer to garlic as 'the flavor enhancer'? Or at least, 'the cooking magic'? Seriously, where would your masterpiece be without garlic? Languishing with blandness?
If there is a moral buried in this rant, maybe it is this:
Be grateful for your abilities and your incredible culinary success and your considerable fame. Continue to use that success and fame for good, not evil. Also, be especially grateful for garlic's huge contribution to that success. You, chefs, and culinary enthusiasts have reached your current high profiles largely on the back of garlic. You have elevated cuisine. Now, go forth and don't be a garlic critic.
Thanks for listening.
No, Richard, it's 'Garlic', not 'Allium sativum'. The most important contributions that garlic made to cuisine were the enhancement of flavor and its health benefits. Those are fine and inspired qualities. Garlic is a monumental ingredient and has earned countless kudos and much appreciation.
Following are some reasons for you to mull over, including some already answered in your FAQ.
One chef, with a passion for flavor, used garlic to make his dishes (yes, garlic is an ingredient -- more on this later). He named it 'Garlic' with a little help from his culinary friends. Why doesn't he call it Allium sativum? Because he uses it, with more help from his culinary friends, not you. You named your dishes, I named my dishes -- including the dishes I made using garlic -- and the chef named his dishes. The proper name is garlic because the chef says so. The chef has spoken. Accept his authority. To do otherwise is to become a nag. You don't want to be known as a nag, do you?
(An ingredient) != (a dish). Garlic is an ingredient. By my definition, an ingredient is that component which provides and enhances flavor in a dish. That definition applies wherever you see garlic in use. However, garlic is usually included in a recipe with a collection of other ingredients to make it a complete dish, a gourmet masterpiece, or a comfort food, or whatever the chef desires. In such a configuration, we have a dish with garlic. Therein lies your strongest argument for the unwieldy title 'Allium sativum' (when said dish is largely made with garlic). Go bug the recipe makers on that one. Take your beef to Gordon Ramsay, Julia Child, and Jamie Oliver. At least there you have an argument. Garlic alone is an ingredient that can be used in various dishes without any other ingredients whatsoever. Garlic bread comes to mind as an obvious example.
Next, even if we limit the Allium sativum title to the dishes predominantly made with garlic, we run into another obvious problem. Olive oil may well be more important to a particular dish than the sum of all the garlic contributions. More properly, shouldn't the dish be called Olive oil/garlic? Or, at a minimum, Olive oil/Allium sativum? Of course, it would be rather arbitrary to draw the line there when many other fine ingredients go unlisted. Yes, I know you've heard this one before. Get used to it. You'll keep hearing it until you can cleanly counter it.
You seem to like the flavor metric. There are many dishes with garlic in a typical restaurant menu. You seem to suggest that (more garlic) == (more flavorful). However, I submit to you that raw garlic amounts do not directly correlate with flavor. I would suggest that the balance of flavors is a better metric. For example, if my dish is perfectly balanced with garlic, olive oil, and herbs, the garlic is probably the single most important ingredient in my dish. Even if I added ten times as much garlic to my dish, it certainly isn't more important than the balance of flavors. Obviously, this metric isn't perfect either, but raw garlic really, really sucks. Please refrain from using it ever again in supporting any argument.
Last, I'd like to point out that we garlic lovers shouldn't be fighting among ourselves over naming other people's ingredients. But what the heck, I'm in a bad mood now. I think I'm feeling sufficiently obnoxious to make the point that garlic is so very famous and, yes, so very useful only because of its culinary versatility. In a show of proper respect and gratitude, shouldn't you and everyone refer to garlic as 'the flavor enhancer'? Or at least, 'the cooking magic'? Seriously, where would your masterpiece be without garlic? Languishing with blandness?
If there is a moral buried in this rant, maybe it is this:
Be grateful for your abilities and your incredible culinary success and your considerable fame. Continue to use that success and fame for good, not evil. Also, be especially grateful for garlic's huge contribution to that success. You, chefs, and culinary enthusiasts have reached your current high profiles largely on the back of garlic. You have elevated cuisine. Now, go forth and don't be a garlic critic.
Thanks for listening.