Barbolian Garlic Varieties

Here are the varieties for 2008, totalling about 1300 bulbs. (Note: Filaree Farm has been my primary supplier of garlic, although I save my own seed from year to year. Another good source is The Garlic Store. Most of the descriptions below are from their catalogs, with some modifications.)

Hardnecks
Type	Variety
Asiatic	Asian Tempest	Large, finely striped with a purple blush. 5-7 big cloves. Produces well in wet, mild areas as well as cold ones. Rich, long-lasting flavor. Moderate keeper (4-6 months). Originated in South Korea; adapted to wet-weather climates; relatively rare in U.S.; rich, long-lasting flavor. Bulbil beak can be 18″ long; outstanding crop.
Asiatic	Japanese	Larger Asiatic variety; pearly white wrappers; yellow-cream cloves; easy to peel.  Rare variety obtained from an elderly Japanese farmer in Western Washington (offered through Filaree Farm).  5-7 large cloves; bulbil up to 20″!
Leek	Elephant	King of roasters, nearly 5″ in diameter!  Not a true garlic; actually of the leek family.  Mild, delectable garlic flavor.
Marbled Purple Stripe	Bogatyr	A BIG purple striped (marbled), robust hardneck, this bulb tends to produce just a few, easy-to-peel cloves. They tend to be purple-colored. Along with a rich and interesting flavor, this variety stores longer than many hardnecks and grows well in areas with cold winters. Few cloves, with dark purple/brown clove colors. Flower stalks sometimes red tinged. One of our longest storing marbled purple stripes.
Marbled Purple Stripe	Metechi	This fiery little bulb gives high powered garlic flavor. This purple stripe hardneck probably originated in the Republic of Georgia. It has lots of character and a nice finish. The bulbs produce a few very plump cloves which store well. Plants upright and broader leafed than others. Large bulbil capsule and bulbils. Bulbs nicely colored and very firm. Cloves few, but large and fat, with blushed and lined skins that are thick. Long storing. Raw tasted fiery but with a nice finish.
Marbled Purple Stripe	Siberian	This large-bulbed purple striped variety probably originated in Siberia. It is perhaps the most beautiful of all our bulbs. It grows strong plants, with just a few very large cloves. The clove skins themselves are dark brown in color but the insides are creamy white with LOTS of heat. Loves cold weather, but does fine on the Colorado prairie too. An outstanding strain originally secured by fishermen trading green leafy vegetables with poor peasants who grew only root crops. Very large bulbs due to weak flower stalk at U.S. latitudes.
Porcelain	Armenian	A big bulb, with four huge cloves and a silver wrapper that hides a lot of heat. These plants grow lush and tall, and are not too fussy about the weather. If these bulbs like your soil, they can be amazing producers
Porcelain	Georgia Crystal	A pretty porcelain variety that can produces large bulbs but only with a half dozen or so large cloves. The wrapper is clean, firm and white in color. The flavor is relatively mild, even when eaten raw. A good storing bulb for a hardneck.  Large bulbs with 4 to 7 cloves. Clean white appearance. Beautiful fat cloves. Very mild and flavorful raw. Long storing.
Porcelain	Georgian Fire	Similar to Georgian Crystal except averages 5 to 8 cloves per bulb. A raw taste is strong with a pleasant hotness. A good salsa garlic or salad warmer.
Porcelain	Music Pink	A blush of pink; high yielding; long storage; medium heat index; one of the most popular; music to the taste buds! Outstanding field crop; large bulbs
Porcelain	Romanian Red	Large cloves; tougher skin; long storing; hot and pungent; long-lasting bite; tastes hotter after storage. Came to British Columbia from Romania. Good storage; 4-5 cloves/bulb
Porcelain	Russian Giant	A porcelain hardneck that can get very, very big if it likes your soil. The plants are very tall, and the unfurled scapes can head towards five feet at times. The big bulb has six to eight giant, easy-to-peel cloves and has spiced up many a Cossack’s dinner on the windy steppes.
Porcelain	Susan D.	Beautiful, big porcelain from Canadian grower, Flora Baartz.
Purple Stripe	Chesnok Red	From Shvelisi, Georgia; high performing; easy to peel.  Mild with a bite! Superb for roasting and cooking; holds shape and flavor. Best performer in northern climes, large bulbs
Purple Stripe	Persian Star	Vivid clove colors. Outer bulb wrapper sometimes smooth white but inner wrappers purple streaked. Red-tipped cloves with marbled streaks on whitish or yellow-brown back ground. Very pleasant flavor with a mild spicy zing. Purchased in Samarkand, Uzbekistan bazaar in the late 1980s by John Swenson.
Purple Stripe	Vekak	From Czechoslovakia; beautiful, deep purple bulbs! Varied sizes.  Fiery taste that improves with cooking. Deep purple bulbs.
Purple Stripe Glazed	Brown Tempest	New for 2008! Will report later in the season.
Rocambole	Carpathian	From Carpathian Mts. of southwest Poland. Large, uniform bulbs. Not many doubled cloves. Bulb wrappers with thin copper veins and varying purple blotching. Plants deep green and vigorous. Matures one week after Spanish Roja. Our stock originally from Chesnok Farm in Apalachin NY. Classic garlic flavors, nice overall tang, hot and spicy, strong and garlicky.
Rocambole	Juan de Fuca Wonder	Our own–adapted to Sequim Valley conditions over 20 years; varied sizes; rich and spicy.
Rocambole	Killarney Red	Vigorous in wet-weather climates; easy to peel; outstanding raw; retains flavor when cooked; rich, garlicky-butter aftertaste.  best producing; adapted to wet conditions; more double cloves.  High yields, late maturation, one of the better Rocamboles for mild, wet winter areas. Similar in appearance to German Red and Spanish Roja. Sustained heat, rich garlicky-butter aftertaste.
Rocambole	Sandpoint	New for 2008! Will report later in the season.
Softnecks
Type	Variety
Artichoke	Inchelium Red	The best softneck variety for roasting; large, cream-colored bulbs, tinges of purple/rust; mild, lingering buttery taste.  large bulbed, 8-20 cloves, best selling Artichoke variety.  9-20 uniform cloves, bulbs often greater than 3″ in diameter. High soluble solids give this variety a denser, heavier feel and more edible portion than other garlics. Stores 6-9 months. Mild but lingering buttery taste.
Artichoke	Polish White	Largest of the softnecks; cream-colored bulbs, plump & uniform; initially hot, but then flavor relaxes.  From NY; monstrously big; largest of softneck; does well in both cold and mild winter areas.  A monstrously big, uniform-shaped bulb; often the largest softneck type. Extremely cold hardy and does well in mild winter areas. Only 10-13 large cloves. Initially hot, but tones down quickly with a “sticks around” buttery sensation on the lips.
Artichoke	Sicilian	Large bulbs, very symmetrical and firm; milder flavor.  Perfect for pasta, tomato sauces, olive oil. Good producer, long storing.
Artichoke	Transylvanian	Originating in the heart of the Transylvanian mountains, these nice size bulbs produce plump, firm cloves. Slight rosy blush on bulb wrappers. This very large and lovely artichoke softneck was discovered in a Romanian farmer’s market in the mid-1990s. BIG cream colored bulbs with up to 16 cloves contain an excellent flavor with more than a bit of a bite. Sure, we make vampire jokes with this one! Doesn’t mind cold winters.
Artichoke??	NASH’s Delta Giant	These very large bulbs are from Nash’s Organic Produce and grown locally in the Dungeness River delta soils.  A true treat!
Silverskin	Silver Rose	Large, rosy-skinned cloves (6-8 to a bulb).  Not overwhelming heat.  Good keepers: 8-9 mo. shelf life
Silverskin	Silver white	Does well in coastal climates; nice for braiding; cooking brings out the flavor. Likes humid maritime climate; most productive silverskin.