Even Tutankhamen loved gourmet garlic!
 

In the world of garlic connoisseurs, Parripak Foods is to garlic what Jamie Oliver is to healthy eating! The Bedfordshire-based company has been processing garlic for more than 15 years and is now one of the UK's largest processors of fresh garlic.

The provenance of garlic is fascinating. It is widely believed that wild garlic was first used for domestic purposes in the Kirgiz desert of South Siberia and during the last century, Siberians were allowed to pay their taxes in garlic. In Egypt, the builders of the pyramids were often paid in garlic to maintain their strength and stamina and garlic was even found in the tomb of King Tutankhamen!

Demand for 'gourmet garlics' has continued to rise, and there are now literally hundreds of different varieties available from all over the world. Parripak sources the exotic purple skinned Morado variety, which is famous for its high flavour profile, from La Mancha in Spain. Whole bulbs are brought in weekly and are peeled and washed to a high care puree. The product is then used in a variety of top end dishes including garlic bread, curries, garlic dips and ready meals. The increasing popularity of ethnic recipe dishes has also seen a rise in demand for different garlic varieties. Chinese garlic has a very much milder flavour but attracts an extremely high tax duty of 80 p/kg on fresh.

Another sought-after variety is the Ali Rose de Lautrec from the Lautrec region in France. This variety is renowned for its delicate flavour and good keeping qualities and has a beautiful pink colour after peeling.

Parripak takes quality control extremely seriously and with the help of a local University, monitors garlic to check the levels of pungency. This ensures all year round consistency of product and also helps to take out some of the subjectivity in deciding what garlic to use when developing new products.

Parripak have established a dedicated garlic processing unit within their Bedfordshire-based site which supplies pureed, whole peeled, chopped, roasted and diced garlic to a variety of customers. It also has a segregated high-care facility to cater for customers who produce dips and sauces and require low micro levels.

Demand for hard neck varieties of garlic, which are grown in cooler climates, continue to grow. The famous Porcelain Garlic, which is grown in Scotland. Located at the foot of the Cawdor Hills, on a farm in the Highlands is particularly suitable for delicately flavoured dishes, as this particular garlic strain has no bitter aftertaste.

Averaging between 6 to 8 large cloves, a single bulb of porcelain garlic has three times the flavour of common garlic and has an easy-to-peel skin. So famous is this particular variety, that it is celebrated each year in August at the Rose de Lautrec Festival, where enthusiasts gather to swap recipes, and take part in competitions such as who can grow the longest garlic cluster.