Viewing post #222494 by dave

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.