Frech Garlic

[andygo]

Recently returned from a holiday in the Dordogne with a couple of garlic bulbs in our souvenir bag.

They were absolutely amazing, bought from a local supermarket as nothing special. The taste, fragrance and punch were superb.

Why on can i not find such strong garlic over here? Tried Waitrose, Tesco etc, but the garlic is a poor substitute. Like comparing shandy to a proper real ale..

Where can I get the proper stuff in the uk?

And why is all the uk stuff so insipid?

[sleep envy]

Isle of Wight garlic or just grow your own - a million times better than the stuff you buy from the supermarkets

[Pothole]

easy to grow, according to my cousin who has just got an allotment....

[Lefty Guns]

sleep envy said:

Isle of Wight garlic or just grow your own - a million times better than the stuff you buy from the supermarkets

What he said. Easy to grow, takes very little maintenance and it's superb.

[sleep envy]

also, if you have roses in your garden plant the garlic near/underneath it - it stops aphids attacking the roses

2 for 1 organic growing!!

[Lefty Guns]

Actually, what the fk is Frech Garlic?

[OnTheOverrun]

As others have said - the Isle of Wight garlic farm is a couple of miles from me and they do just about every type of proper garlic. I love the colossal elephant garlic.

http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/index.aspx

[Pothole]

Lefty Guns said:

Actually, what the fk is Frech Garlic?

add 'n'

[andygo]

Thanks so far folks, but I can undwerstand that home grown garlic is great, doesn't really sort out the next few weeks of garlic supply..

But why should the frech version be so much pungent than the insipid stuff from the UK?

And why is it not available in the uk?

[Trevelyan]

I think it's the supermarket requirements for bland products which are the problem. I used to buy my garlic from a supermarket and had to use several cloves to get even a hint of flavour. My dad has recently given me a couple of bulbs he grew on his allotment and one clove is more than enough to give a strong flavour. I'm not sure how the supermarkets manage to remove all the punch from their garlic, but somehow they do!

[trackdemon]

I guess its nothing to do with being French and everything to do with being 'homegrown'. My neighbour game me some from her allotment (which is 500yds from my front door) and it was great - much punchier than the supermarket stuff.