I bought in the supermarket a type of Garlic which is a single bulb so not with the typical cloves. It comes from China. The package says Aglio monobulbo, but Dave found out that 'Aglio' is Italian for Allium, no wonder the database wouldn't not accept it as a genus name. Problem is that I don't find the Latin name for it. Maybe someone knows more?
I would like to add its picture to the database.

It's "single-clove" or "Pearl" garlic and is a species of Elephant Garlic, I believe. Allium ampeloprasum var. ?

It's not a true garlic but has a nice mild garlicky flavor (to me anyway).

Hope this helps.

Thanks Tee for putting me on the right track! I think you're right it being a species of Elephant Garlic, only have to find out now what variety..
I have planted one so maybe if it grows I'll find out how it looks like..

You're welcome, Myriam. I've only bought it and never grown it so it would, indeed, be nice to see the entire plant.

I am a garlic, onion, leek, shallot, and so forth lover anyway.

Ah I found something interesting, the single clove garlic seems to be developed from the tiny bulbils that form between the sterile flowers of cultivated Garlic!

I tried to copy and paste the text I found but it doesn't allow me..


So I'll type out the interesting part:

From China so called "solo garlic", "aglio monobulbo" is imported. The round bulbs have a diameter of 30 to 35 mm and consist of one clove only.
The flowers of cultivated garlic are mainly sterile. The development of seed is- if at all-not very frequent. Between the sterile flowers bulbils of a diameter of 1cm and a weight of about 3g develop. These bulbils may be planted in autumn or spring and grow to the round one-cloved bulbs, the so called solo garlic. The solo garlic maybe be marketed or planted in the same autumn or following spring for the production of 'normal' garlic. Therefore, solo garlic derived from Allium sativum is covered by the standard.

http://www.ble.de/SharedDocs/D...

Cross posted Tee, I took me long to type it all out..

Copied and pasted from that PDF:

What is the name of the variety offered as „Chinesischer Knollenknoblauch“ (so-called
solo garlic), i. e. bulbs with one clove only? How to proceed during inspection?
Sächsische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft
From China so called „solo garlic“, „aglio monobulbo“ or „Knollenknoblauch“ is im-
ported. The round bulbs have a diameter of 30 to 35 mm and consist of one clove
only.

The flowers of cultivated garlic are mainly sterile. The development of seed is – if at all
– not very frequent. Between the sterile flowers bulbils of a diameter of 1 cm and a
weight of about 3 g develop. These bulbils may be planted in autumn or spring and
grow to the round one-cloved bulbs, the so called solo garlic. The solo garlic may be
marketed or planted in the same autumn or the following spring for production of
„normal“ garlic. Therefor, solo garlic derived from Allium sativum L. is covered by the
standard.

However, the elephant garlic or great round-headed garlic (French: ail d'orient) derived
from Allium ampeloprasum, is also developing one cloved round bulbs. The elephant
garlic comes – from the botanical point of view – between garlic and leeks. Taste and
smell are more like leeks Allium porrum L. The elephant garlic belongs to another spe-
cies than garlic and is not covered by the standard. At import it falls under the CN-
Code 0703 90 00 (- leeks and other vegetables of the Gallium species, 2. others).
Therefor, solo garlic without the typical taste or smell of garlic, is certainly elephant
garlic and not covered by the standard.

Good to know this, Myriam. This is different from the Pearl garlic I know about then which I'm fairly certain is related to the Elephant Garlic. At least I suppose they are different. What do you think?

Oops, cross-posted with Dave this time.

Thanks Dave, I don't know how you did it but for sure it worked!
The taste of it is definitely like garlic Tee, it seems to have more powerful antibiotic qualities than the regular garlic. I like it lot because you have much less work peeling them! I guess when my planted one grows I'll have a nice big 'normal' Garlic!

Dave, i have added the photo in the database under Allium sativum.
When the photo is accepted then I can add the text you managed to copy as a commentary by the photo? Of course with adding the link where I found it.

I went ahead and moved this thread directly into the database associated with that image.

That's great! Thank you!

I agree. Very informative.

Here is a link to another discussion about Pearl or Solo garlic. Judging by what was said, maybe you will have some "Pearls" after all, Myriam.

So now I am uncertain what I have had in the past, but I think it was the Elephant type of Solo garlic.

http://chefatlarge.in/columns/...

Very interesting, thanks Tee!
But still I think mine is not the Pearl garlic, It doesn't really fit the images on that link, the colour of the peel looks thick, smooth and brown on those, the peel on mine is white with purplish streaks and paperish to the feel.

That's the way my Elephant Garlic "Pearls" were (if that's what they were), white and purple. They were extremely mild in flavor though. Not like regular garlic.

I'm not suggesting changing the information with the image as I'm sure you're right. There seems to be a lot of confusion about this among everyone. The Chef references the Chinese company in his blog.

Ah, the world of garlic. I still love it all though.

I just tried one of mine raw, Tee. Wow, it certainly tastes and smells like true garlic and pretty strong too!

The proof is in the eating, I would say.