Purple Stripes are named because of the bright purple streaks and blotches on both bulb wrappers & clove skins, these are the most attractive looking garlics. They are also very flavorful, usually winning "best baked garlic" taste tests conducted by Rodale, Sunset Magazine, Martha Stewart and others

Most strains have 8 to 12 cloves per bulb (more than Rocambole) so clove size is slightly smaller. Cloves are noticeably tallish and crescent shaped. They store slightly longer than Rocamboles & peel almost as easily.

Persian Star: Vivid clove colors. Outer bulb wrapper sometimes smooth white but inner wrappers purple streaked. Red-tipped cloves with marbled streaks on whitish or yellow-brown back ground. Very pleasant flavor with a mild spicy zing. Purchased in Samarkand, Uzbekistan bazaar in the late 1980's by John Swenson.*

Chesnok Red: Our best Purple Stripe in performance year after year. Our top cooking garlic that holds shape and retains flavor after it is cooked. Very large bulbs that average 9 to 10 easy to peel cloves. From Shvelisi, Georgia. One of our best baking garlics.*

 

Chinese Red:  Stripes are very vivid.  Cloves are white. Taste is a medium heat. We know nothing about it's background. Purchased at a local nursery.

Marbled Group:  A sub-variety of purple stripes. These are an interesting and enigmatic group. While the plants are more similar to Purple Stripes, the bulbs can easily be mistaken for Rocamboles. When broken apart bulbs display characteristics of both Rocambole and Porcelains. However, isozyme testing by Pooler & Simon put them within the Purple Stripe variety. Bulb wrappers tend to be mottled rather than striped. Most strains have only 4 to 7 cloves per bulb which can be easily counted without removing bulb wrappers. Storage is slightly longer than either Rocamboles or standard Purple Stripes

Siberian: An outstanding strain originally secured by fishermen trading green leafy vegetables with poor peasants who grew only root crops. Very large bulbs due to weak flower stalk at U.S. latitudes. 5 to 7 fat, dark brown cloves.*

Brown Tempest:  Purple bulb splotches; brown cloves with a hint of rose blush and no stripes. Average 6 cloves per bulb with nice shape and size. Raw garlic has initial taste that mellows to a pleasing garlicky finish.*

Pskem: Very unique rich colored garlic. 2 to 4 large cloves set in a satin finish of purple. Becoming very popular. From Pskem River Valley, Uzbekistan by John Swenson.*

Glazed Group: a sub-variety of purple stripes.  These include four beautiful strains that appear Purple Stripe in all respects except that bulb and clove colors are a royal purple tinged with subtle, shiny gold and/or silver hues. Cloves are not as tallish and elongated as standard Purple Stripes and there are fewer cloves per bulb. They mature slightly sooner than standard Purple Stripes.

Red Rezan: Bulb color dark glazed purple with the tinge of gold. Strong lasting flavor, but not hot and no aftertaste. From south Moscow (Republic Of Russia).*

 

(*All of these descriptions were used by permission from the Filaree Farm Web Site.  Special thanks to them and the book Growing Great Garlic by Ron Engeland)

Back to top of page.

Last modified: September 07, 2008