Ordering garlic isn't always easy. There usually are a number of international growing regions to choose from, a variety of style options — like dried, fresh, whole or peeled — and an assortment of packaging types and sizes.
California has a reputation for providing great garlic, but it's not the only source, and it may not always be the best choice for your needs.
Garlic is harvested once a year, says Patsy Ross, director of marketing for Christopher Ranch LLC, Gilroy, Calif., so it makes sense for importers to know about sources in California, Mexico, South America, Spain and China to ensure year-round availability.
“Every year, the costs and the variations of the season determine where the best place to buy garlic from is,” says Jim Provost, president of I Love Produce LLC, West Grove, Pa. This year, Spain should be a “great place to source,” because the quality is excellent, and price should be competitive, he says.
In addition, there are freight advantages shipping from Spain to the East Coast.
Global appeal
“We've got garlic from all parts of the world,” says Bruce Klein, director of marketing for Maurice A. Auerbach Inc., Seacaucus, N.J.
That includes the U.S., Mexico, Spain, France, China and Argentina.
“Anywhere they grow garlic, we will procure it,” he says. >>>
Argentina garlic comes at a convenient time because it's on a different harvest schedule than California, starting in December and January. “It's fresh garlic versus California's storage garlic,” he says.
Most of the world's garlic — an estimated two-thirds or more — is grown in China.
“There is a Chinese garlic market in the U.S. and a non-Chinese garlic market,” Provost says.
Chinese garlic typically is less expensive than other kinds, and the Chinese are especially good at high-end labor, value-added aspects of the category, he says. Suppliers hand peel their garlic rather than peel it by machine, he says, therefore, “the quality of the garlic is cleaner,” and the shelf life is longer than machine-peeled garlic from California or Spain. They also do a good job of putting up fresh garlic in net bags or sleeves.
“It's an elegant package, very tightly packed,” Provost says. “They stack, and it cuts down on any kind shrink or clutter.”
And they can be featured on ad for competitive prices, he says.
There are “pros and cons” when it comes to the food safety aspects of Chinese garlic, says Louis Hymel, director of purchasing and marketing for Orlando, Fla.-based Spice World Inc.
But he says the key is knowing whom you're dealing with and taking appropriate precautions.
“We do a lot of third-party testing and in-house testing,” he says. “We have everything tested before it even leaves China from a European test facility located in China.”
California grown
Spice World imported garlic for 38 years before it added a domestic deal in California 30 years ago, and imports continue to play an important role at the company, Hymel says.
“We just can't seem to grow enough California product to satisfy the demands we get annually,” he says. The company also imports garlic from Argentina and Chile and in the past couple of years reestablished a program with Spain.
California grows about 150 million pounds of garlic, says Ross of Christopher Ranch. Christopher Ranch actually came to realize the value of its Monviso California heirloom garlic, which originated in the Piedmont region of Italy, when customers pointed it out, Ross says.
When a restaurant operator who wanted Monviso's high-brix, high-oil content and other unique characteristics on a regular basis started asking for the variety specifically, the company realized it had something special on its hands, Ross says. It became a way for the company to differentiate its garlic from lower-priced imports, she adds.
“In a sensory evaluation, Monviso outperformed Chinese garlic in richness and duration in cooking and has a higher brix count than Chinese, giving it a bold, nutty flavor with a creamy finish,” Ross says.
The company expects to have more than 85 million pounds of California heirloom garlic in 2017-18, Ross says.
To each its own
Garlic comes in a wealth of different forms, and each one seems to have its own uses.
“Jarred garlic is big business,” says Klein of Maurice A. Auerbach, “but fresh peeled is huge in foodservice and becoming popular at retail.”
Whether shoppers pick up jarred or fresh garlic depends on how it's used, he says. For example, some consumers select spreadable jarred garlic for garlic bread, and some recipes call for whole or cut garlic cloves.
“Folks are very particular in how they want to use their garlic,” he says.
The 30-pound bulk box is the most popular pack for fresh garlic at Auerbach, Klein says. Most supermarkets also carry packaged fresh-peeled garlic, and many buy 5-pound jars and repack them into smaller ones. The company's product line includes white, purple and morado garlic.
With myriad garlic options available, Ross suggests merchandising them all in a garlic center in the produce department. “It's a place where people can go to choose from fresh, pureed or bagged product,” she says.
She also recommends pricing bulbs of garlic by the each rather than by the pound. “There's a perception sometimes that garlic is expensive,” she says. “If it's priced per pound, it seems like it's expensive, but if you price it by the bulb, it's a different number.”
Finally, she recommends merchandising fresh garlic in a good-sized display with tomatoes and avocados.
“It makes a beautiful, colorful display,” she says.
Many retailers tend to merchandise garlic with potatoes and onions, Ross says, “but it doesn't stand out as well.”
Spice World's Hymel also advises retailers to establish a “garlic merchandising area.”
“That gives (the category) stability,” he says.
He recommends stocking plenty of whole garlic plus value-added product, like the company's minced squeeze garlic. Cross merchandising is a good way to move more garlic — and prompt incremental sales of other items, he says.
For example, display some garlic in the pasta section, in the seafood area with scampi and in the bakery, so shoppers can make garlic bread.