Are there different types of garlic, as some bulbs seem to be much more pungent than others?
There are several types of garlic and most is pearly white, but other varieties are streaked with pink and mauve. However, the color does not noticably affect the flavor.
The more important distinction is seasonal. The most familiar garlic is sold from late summer, sometimes plaited into skeins to hang in a cool place for winter. It has been dried in the sun, which has firmed up the heads and transformed the skin into a tissue-like wrapping, and the garlic is good if it is firm. It will get stronger in taste as green shoots begin to germinate and sprout in the individual cloves.
As well as locally grown garlic, there is a lot of imported garlic on the market. Also becoming more commonly available are garlic shoots, which are seen from midwinter to spring. The cloves are immature and the stem is thick and fleshy. This green garlic is sweet and mild enough to be treated as a vegetable, and is very good roasted whole with fresh herbs such as thyme.
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