There are 10 garlic families with over 600 subspecies. Garlic sprouts come in two types: Chinese stiffneck garlic and garlic chive seeds. They can be added to various dishes and are high in vitamins and minerals.
There are 10 basic families of garlic and more than 600 subspecies that fall under those 10 families. Garlic sprouts come in two basic varieties: the garlic chive seeds and the hard, raw sprouts that protrude from planted Chinese garlic bulbs. Both varieties of sprouts can be harvested and added to foods such as salads, stir-fries, juices, pizzas, and sandwiches.
So much garlic is grown worldwide that hundreds of subspecies have been grown from two basic species, Allium sativum and Allium sativum ophioscorodon. The first type is hard necked garlic, and the second are soft necked varieties. Of the two species, 10 garlic families emerged. Five are hardneck garlic, two are hardneck garlic running into softneck garlic, and three are softneck garlic varieties.
Garlic sprouts fall into one of two main types — sprouts made from Chinese stiffneck garlic and sprouts grown from garlic chive seeds — and the two types are very different. Chinese garlic sprouts are green stems that sprout from purple garlic bulbs planted in the ground. Not all hardneck garlic varieties produce edible garlic sprouts; some varieties produce tasteless green stems that should be discarded. An easy way for someone to tell the difference is to snap off the end of one of the stalks that you suspect is a garlic shoot. If it smells like garlic, it’s a sprout that can be prepared and eaten.
The purple hardneck Chinese garlic shoots are about 30-45 cm long and are so thick that they are almost impossible to eat raw. These garlic sprouts can be cleaned, cut into 5-inch (5.1cm) pieces, and sauteed in olive oil over medium heat for about five minutes or until tender. They can then be added to stir-fry dishes or garnished with sesame seeds, sugar and salt and served as a side dish or appetizer.
Another type of garlic sprouts are those that grow from chive seeds. These sprouts grow from seeds and take about two weeks to mature. After they’re ripe, these garlic sprouts can be spun in a salad spinner to loosen the seeds and then can be added to salads, sandwiches or pizzas, or can be cooked quickly in stir-fried dishes.
Similar to alfalfa sprouts, garlic sprouts are high in vitamins A, B, C, and E, as well as calcium and iron. They are also rich in chlorophyll, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus and potassium. Their appealing taste makes them suitable as a snack that can be eaten on their own.
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