Delicate and with low odor, it’s also ideal for fish dishes.
Origin
Chiana giant garlic has a long history dating back to the Etruscan and Roman times. It’s a garlic variety that gained the attention of doctors and scientists for its many healing properties. The same is true of all garlic, but this type is highly digestible thanks to the absence of a substance called allicin. Dioscorides, a physician and botanist from the times of Nero, recommended it to help arteries, while Plinius the Elder identified it as a cure-all for the body. This variety requires fertile, loose and sandy terrain, which should have damp subsoil but no standing water. This is exactly the type of soil that resulted from the land reclamation of Valdichiana. Garlic cultivation is also common on the island of Giglio, where it was imported by the house of Medici. Giant garlic is now a niche product that is at risk of disappearing.
Cookit
Chiana giant garlic is formed of large ivory-colored bulbs, with a rounder shape than common garlic. It can grow to weigh up to 800 grams. The complete lack of allicin makes it very delicate and digestible, with less odor than other varieties. In traditional Tuscan cuisine, it’s used to prepare rustic dishes like “Pici all’Aglione”, but it’s delicate enough for more sophisticated recipes as well.
Did you know
Chiana giant garlic is known as “lover’s garlic.” In fact, its sweet and delicate flavor and easy digestibility mean it even passes the kiss test. That’s why it is also produced and sold under the name KissinGarlic.
