Join us at all of  our vending locations

 

South Cariboo Garlic Festival - August 29/30

Nicola Valley Farmers Market Mini Garlic Festival - September 5

Hills Garlic Festival - September 13

Chilliwack Stinking Rose Garlic Festival - September 19/20

Lower Nicola Garlic Festival - September 26/27

AND at the NICOLA VALLEY FARMERS' MARKET EVERY SATURDAY UNTIL OCTOBER 10TH 

Store Is Open

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​Below are the Garlic  varieties that we will be bringing to you at the Lower Nicola Garlic Festival.

Be sure to pick out some favourites and discover some new ones to!

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Artichoke

Softneck artichoke garlic has fewer, but bigger cloves. It also has a softer flavour compared to Silverskin garlic. The flavours are familiar, but have a bit of a mild element rather than the richer deeper characters of some of the other cultivar varieties. When properly stored, it can keep for up to eight months

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Apple Garlic

Artichoke

 

• Softneck

• Bulbs are round and dense—hence the “apple” name

• Typically 10–16 cloves per bulb

• Mild to medium-strong in heat

• Smooth and slightly sweet when cooked

• Balanced, making it great for everyday use

• Not as fiery as Estonian Red or Fishlake #3

• Use where garlic shouldn’t dominate.

• It grows well in both coastal and interior regions.

• Stores 6–9 months when cured properly

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Red Toch

Artichoke

 

• Artichoke​

• Mild, heat, not as pungent as others

• Great for use Raw, cooked and Roasted

• 12-18 Cloves

• Stores 6 months

• Pronounced Red (Talk)

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Sicilian Gold

Artichoke​
 

• Type: Softneck Artichoke garlic

• Flavor: Medium strength with a rich, golden aftertaste

• Clove Structure: Large outer cloves surrounding a core of smaller ones; typically 12–15 cloves per bulb

• Origin: Originally from Sicily, now also cultivated in Canada

• Its flavor is milder making it versatile for cooking

• Ideal for braiding and long-term storage due to its softneck structure

 

 

Susanville

Artichoke​

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• Artichoke

• Softneck

• It matures earlier than many other varieties

• High yielding, typically 10–16 cloves per bulb

• It grows well in both warm and cool climates

• Mild to medium heat

• Gentle heat when raw

• Sweet, mellow, and buttery when roasted

• Balanced enough for everyday cooking

• Stores 6–8 months when stored properly

• Excellent for braiding (as a softneck)

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Asiatic

Generally, variety of garlic migrated east from Central Asia, through China and out to the Pacific coast. Asiatic garlics are weakly bolting hardneck, meaning they don’t always produce a scape. These are among the fastest-growing garlic types available. It grows large and is ready to harvest very quickly. This makes it a popular choice when selecting garlic for those who want to have fresh garlic as soon as possible and many times within the year. Some of these varieties mature early in the season, while others are among the last to be harvested right around mid season. Asiatic garlics run on the hotter side, especially when eaten raw. Bulbs, are pure white with thick wrappers richly colored in purple or mahogany. They average 8-12 medi um sized cloves and have a shelf life of 5-6 months.​

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Asian Tempest

Asiatic

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• Asiatic

• Cloves have semi-glossy wrappers and are easy to peel, ideal for cooking

• Large, attractive bulbs often streaked with white and purple.

• Asian Tempest garlic is celebrated for its bold raw heat, sweet cooked flavour, and ornamental qualities, making it a favourite among chefs and home gardeners alike.

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Fishlake 23

Asiatic
 

• Type: It’s an Asiatic garlic variety, though it was originally misclassified as a Rocambole.

• Cloves: 5 – 8 cloves per bulb.

• Typical shelf life: Around 4 to 6 months

• Appearance: Tall, robust plants with light yellow/green foliage and moderate purple striping on the bulb wrappers.

• Flavor & Use: It tends to have a bold flavor and is well-suited for culinary use. Regardless of the name it does not taste like Fish!​

 

Korean Mountain

​Asiatic

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Asiatic

Spicy Hot mellowing into a lingering mild taste

8-12 medium size cloves

Store 5-6 months

 

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Sakura

Asiatic

Asiatic

5-6 medium cloves

Store 5-6 months

Strong, hot flavour, especially raw

Early maturing, just ahead of Artichokes

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Creoles

Creoles are renowned in the culinary world. One of the most famous creoles is de Lautrec, the French pink garlic. Creoles have a remarkable flavor with a delightful nutty quality. The flavor can be sharp with a burst of heat that fades quickly leaving a pleasant aftertaste. This weakly bolting hardneck has a striking rose-colored skin with a small bulb. There are 8-12 cloves per bulb. Creole garlic love heat but it is also highly adaptable and can tolerate harsh growing conditions. They are long storing (9-10 month). ​

Growers in the southern U.S., Caribbean, and increasingly in Canada

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Rose de Lautrec
Creole
 

- Creole
- Nutty quality with a sharp with a burst of heat with fades quickly
- Storage: 9-10 months
- Cloves: 8-12

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GLAZED PURPLE StripE

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Genetically different from Purple Stripes and Marbled Purple Stripes, the bulbs are medium in size with large, stocky cloves that sit between Purple Stripes and Marbled Purple Stripes in shape and size. Cloves per bulb vary between cultivars, but commonly range from six to twelve. Glazed Purple Stripe Garlic are hardnecks. The ‘glazed’ term comes from the look of the bulb wrappers which have a glazed, metallic appearance, silvery purple with occasional gold tones. Little genetic research has been done with this group, but what DNA evidence has been collected shows that there is a close genetic heritage shared by both Glazed Purple Stripe and Asiatic garlic. These are very tasty culinary garlics, with modest heat, producing a warm pleasant taste - rich and complex. They are excellent for recipes requiring either raw or cooked garlic. They also have a decent storage time of six to eight months in proper conditions thanks to their tight clove skins. They are very adaptable to different growing conditions.

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Oregon

Glazed Purple Stripe

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Glazed Purple Stripe

Moderate Heat

Good raw or cooked. Try out the recipe on site.

Stores 6-8 months

6-8 Cloves

Very Adaptable growing conditions​

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Red Rezan
Glazed Purple Stripe

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Glazed Purple Stripe

Moderate Heat, Spicy when raw, mild cooked

6-12 Cloves

6-8 months

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Marbled Purple Stripe

Genetically different than Purple Stripe, Marbled Purple Stripe grows in both northern and southern climates as a very reliable garlic. This garlic, for a hardneck, produces very well in warmer climates. The bulb size is very large as is the clove. The most notable feature about the Marbled Purple Stripe Garlics is their clove size. They have 5 – 7 large cloves per bulb. The cloves are the largest of the Striped garlics, but not as large as the Porcelains. It has striking purplish bulb wrappers, but the cloves are more on the brown side. The scapes can reach up to 6 feet. This cultivar can be quite hot when raw, smooth and mellow when cooked.

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Carpathian Red

Marbled Purple Stripe

 

• Marbled Purple Stripe

• Deep Eastern European roots

• Cold hardy and vigorous

• Bold, complex flavour

• Hot and sharp when raw

• A lingering, savory finish

• Produces tall, elegant scapes, excellent grilled

• More complex than many Porcelains, with a bit of “spice” in the background

• If you like Estonian Red, Armenian, or Newfoundland Tall, this one fits right in.

• 8–12 cloves per bulb

• Bulbs have deep purple marbling—very striking

• Bulbs size up well even in tough seasons

• Shows good disease resistance

• Stores 4–6 months when stored properly

• Handles drought and variable weather reliably

• In Merritt’s climate—cold winters, hot summers—it performs extremely well.

 

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Duganski

Marbled Purple Stripe

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• Flavor Profile: Strong and spicy when raw, with a deep, musky sweetness when roasted or sautéed. It’s a garlic that makes its presence known.

• Bulb Appearance: Large bulbs with vivid purple striping on white wrappers. Inside, you’ll find 5–6 fat cloves, each wrapped in tan to rose-colored skins.

• Plant Structure: Tall, robust plants with thick scapes and wide leaves. It’s a vigorous grower and a favorite among northern gardeners.

• Climate Suitability: Thrives in cold regions and is winter-hardy.

• Harvest Time: Mid-season, typically around early summer.

• Storage Life: Excellent—can last up to 9 months under proper conditions.

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hot Porcelain Tibetan

Marble Purple Stripe

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Hot Porcelain Tibetan

Lot of flavour, lot of heat

Cloves -4-6

Longer Storage life

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Khabar

Marbled Purple Stripe

 

• Marble Purple Stripe

• Rich, an initial heat the mellows out nicely

• 5-7 cloves

• Big thick garlic scapes

• Stores 6-7 months

• Favourite among Chefs for mashed potatoes

• Recipe on website

 

Kostyn's Red

Marbled Purple Stripe

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Flavour is intense

Cloves – Typically 6

Stores – Up to 8 months

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Metechi
Marbled Purple Stripe

Marbled Purple Stripe

Cousin to Bogytr

Hot when raw, smooth and mellow cooked.

5-7 cloves

Stores

6-8 Months

Check out Recipe

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Nordic
Marble Purple Stripe
 

Marble Purple Stripe
Strong  flavour, full of heat
Cloves: 5 – 8
Stores: 3 – 5 months

Hardy cold climate planting

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Purple Russian

Marbled Purple Stripe

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A great garlic raw

Cloves – Averages 6 large

Stores – 6-8 months

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Red Russian

Marbled Purple Stripe

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• Marbled Purple Stripe

• Strong, sharp garlic taste

• 6-8 Cloves

• Stores 6-8 months

• Tolerates a wide range of growing conditions

• Harvesting Mid-season

 

Rocky Red

Marbled Purple Stripe

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• Marbled Purple Stripe

• Bold, Hot flavour. Especially when raw

• 6-8 Cloves

• 6-8 months

• Harvesting Mid-season

• Try the Spicy Garlic Buffalo Wings recipe with this garlic

 

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Siberian

Marbled Purple Stripe

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•       Marbled Purple Stripe

• • Subtle flavour when cooked. Hot raw. One of best Roasted

  • Tolerates wide range of growing conditions

  • Harvesting in Mid to late season

  • Stores 6-8 months

  • 6 Cloves

 

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​Porcelain

Porcelain garlic grows best in Northern cool climates, at the same time doing better in Southern climates than many other hardnecks. It produces large cloves, usually four to six, and is covered in a smooth white wrapper. Although the outer skin is white, individual cloves are usually covered in red/brown skin. Porcelain garlic is closely related to Rocambole in flavour with its richly flavored garlic with an earthy muskiness and generally hot strong tasting garlics with a few exceptions like Georgia Crystal and Music. Porcelain garlics store longer than most other garlics, only the Silverskins store longer, usually for up to eight months in the right conditions.

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​Dan's Russian

Porcelain

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• Porcelain

• Warm, pleasant taste, cooks and fries well

• 4-6 Cloves

• Stores 7-9 months

• Check our website for Recipes

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French Porcelain
Porcelain

Porcelain

Hot strong tasting

Cloves: 4-6 Large

Stores 6-9 months

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Leningrad
Porcelain

Porcelain

Warm, Strong taste

4-6 cloves per bulb

7-9 months

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Music
Porcelain

Very Popular among chefs and home users/growers

Stores 9 months

4-6 Medium to Extra-large Cloves

Medium-hot Flavour

Music garlic in particular contains high levels of allicin, a sulfur-containing compound that provides antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Allicin is produced when garlic is crushed and is more potent in raw form

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Northern Quebec
Porcelain

Porcelain

Cloves: 4-6 Large

Flavour: Smooth yet spicy warm, one of the hottest Porcelains

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Purple stripe

Purple Stripe is the most ancient of horticultural groups within the garlic family. Botanists have determined, through genetic testing, that Purple Stripes are the great grandparents of all other garlic. All garlic species known today originated from the Purple Striped garlic. Purple Striped garlics derive their name from the beautiful purple striping on the bulb wrappers and clove skins. They are a hardneck garlic, growing best in cooler Northern climates with cold winters. Most cultivars have 8 to 12 cloves per bulb. Purple Striped garlics are among the finest culinary garlics we have. Enjoy the most striking flavor – strong, complex and richly garlicky. In general, they are recognized as the best garlic for roasting.

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Chesnok Red

Purple Stripe.

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Purple Stripe

Full flavoured sweet garlic, best roasting garlic

Medium to Extra large bulbs

8-10 Cloves

Stores 6 months

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Deerfield

Purple Stripe
 

• Purple Stripe

• Typically 8–12 cloves per bulb

• Produces tall, sturdy scapes

• Bulbs are white to lightly purple blushed

• Hot, assertive heat when raw

• Rich, warm, slightly sweet flavour when roasted

• A lingering, savory finish

• It thrives in cold climates (excellent for BC)

• If you’re growing in Merritt, Deerfield will feel right at home.

• Bulbs size up consistently

• Shows good disease resistance

• Handles variable weather well

• It’s a “garlic lover’s garlic,” similar in strength to German White or Polish Jenn.

• Stores 4–6 months when cured properly

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Jennings Red

Purple Stripe.

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• Purple Stripe

• Similar to Russian Red with slightly less heat but all the flavour

• Medium to Large Bulbs

• Stores 6-8 months

• Check out Garlic and Chive Butter recipe

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Russian Red

Purple stripe.

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• Purple stripe.

• HOT, but lingering flavour

• Would make a wonderful HOT salsa

• 10-12 Cloves

• Stores 5-8 months

Difference between Russian Red and Red Russian: Russian Red is Hotter and has more cloves per bulb

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Tibetan
Purple Stripe

Purple Stripe

Hot raw flavour, mellows when cooked but still quite warm.

Medium sized Bulbs

8-12 ClovesStore 6-8 months​​

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Persian Star
Purple Stripe
 

Purple Stripe
Medium flavour

Average 6-8 cloves

Store: 5-6 months

 

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Rocambole

Rocambole Garlic is the most common hardneck variety and it is also one of the most widely grown garlic varieties. They are valued for being early harvesting full flavored garlics that you can enjoy while waiting for the longer storing ones to mature and harvest. Harvests early-mid summer. Rocamboles are considered by many, as being the best tasting of all the garlics. It is well know for its bold, hot and spicy, truly delicious garlic flavor. Its raw warmth is balanced by a deep and rich flavor, with sweet undertones. A perfect dish where the object is to showcase the garlic flavor. On average bulbs have 8-12 cloves. Rocamboles grow best in cold winter gardens. The common agreement is that Rocamboles store the least amount of time out of all the varieties. However, under ideal conditions we've found that they can store up to 8 months. But typically you should probably eat your Rocamboles within 4-5 months, to make sure and use them while they are at their freshest.

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Dukhobor Russian

Rocambole

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Rocambole

Robust flavour, hot at first the sweet aftertaste

8-12 cloves

Stores 4-5 months

Rocamboles are considered the best tasting of all the garlics.

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German Red

Rocambole

Rocambole

Hot and Spicy.

On average bulbs have 8-12 cloves.

Stores 4-5 months

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Montana Giant        SOLD OUT
Rocamble

 

Rocamble

High heat, mellows quickly

8-12 Cloves

Stores 3 months

Harvesting late spring, early summer

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Russian Red Rocambole
Rocambole

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Rocamble

Very hot, rich flavour

5-8 cloves per bulb

Stores: Into mid-winter at room temperature

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Spanish Roja
Rocambole

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Rocambole

Also known as Greek or Greek Blue

Subtly sweet, hot, robust flavour that lingers. HOT raw

Good in Vegetable or salad dressing.

Also meats and seafood

Stores 5 months

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Tallinn Garlic

Rocamble

 

• Rocambole

• 4–7 cloves per bulb.

• It has a strong initial bite with a light sweet aftertaste

• This versatile garlic works well raw, sautéed, or roasted If someone casually says “Tallinn garlic” meaning garlic grown in Estonia, the most accurate estimate based on real Estonian varieties is:

• Medium-hot - But not the hottest type.

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Ukranian

Rocambole

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Rocambole

Crisp and crunchy full flavoured and spicy with a warm rich but light aftertaste

8-12 Cloves

Stores 5-6 months

Used to Make Ukrainian Garlic Bread (Pampushky) Recipe on Website

How to say Garlic in Ukrainian часниk (chasnyk) [chasnick]

 

Silverskin

This Softneck cultivar is the last of the garlics to mature each season, it is also the longest lasting storing garlic. They will store from 10 months to a year in the right conditions. Silverskins are popular with supermarkets because of their long shelf life. Silverskin bulbs are smaller than those of Artichokes, but they have a large number of cloves per bulb, easily 10. The bulb wrappers are white but may have yellow or tan veining. Clove skins range from white to tan, largely pink-blushed, or even reddish purplish. The flavour is hot and aggressive. So f you like your garlic strong, this is a must try! This is a little smaller but far more flavorful garlic than artichoke garlic.

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California Select
Silverskin
 

• Silverskin

• Mild and Creamy

• Cloves: 8-15 per bulb

• Stores: 10 months to a Year

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Turban

Turbans originate in Southeast Asia, many of them have beautiful oriental names reflect but more mild and faint when cooked. Others begin mild, but then a hot jolt of garlic kicks in. There are also some rich garlicky ones that don't overpower with pungency. They are very popular in Southeast Asian cuisine. Turbans usually have 5-7 very large cloves that form a circle around a center stem. Turban is the earliest maturing garlic. It is a good choice for those who want to spread out their harvest and enjoy some fresh garlic before the rest of the varieties are ready. They are short storing garlics as most don't last more than 5 months at room temperature before sprouting. Turbans should be a part of every garlic lover's garden along with long storing ones so you can have fresh garlic all year around.

 

Saltspring Extra Early
Turban

Turban

Medium heat, nutty flavour

Cloves: 6-7

Stores: 3-5 months

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China Rose
Turban

Nice, Full garlic taste, Mellow after taste.

Excellent in Baking and Cooking.

Storage: 4-5 months

Cloves: 5-7

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​​Xian
Turban
 

Turban​

Medium to Strong

6-9 cloves

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Chinook

Turban​
 

Turban variety.Cloves: 10

Storage: 3-5 months

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Thai Purple
Turban
 

Turban

Bold, robust flavour

Cloves: 6-8

 

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Please ask if you don't see the variety you are looking for as there may be more inthe trailer.

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