The origin of garlic may not be absolutely clear but it is thought to have its roots in Asia. Because of the many uses garlic has, it has spread throughout the european continent over the centuries. It was already well known in Egypt, where the slaves who worked in the construction of the pyramids used to eat it. In India is considered an almost sacred fruit. During the Roman Empire, gladiators ate garlic because of the allegedly aphrodisiac properties. Sailors and soldiers frequently added garlic to their diet.

Purple garlic, from Imperio Garlic is one of a kind, and our clients already know that. It has that exceptional flavour that means a special touch in your recipes. Besides it also has several benefits for your health. This is why garlic has been considered  a superfood for many centuries and has been incorporated into the popular culture, as shown by many proverbs.

Properties of purple garlic

Allicin, which can be found in garlic, and especially in purple garlic, has antioxidant and hypoglycemic properties. Thus, although this component does not have any nutritional value, it does have a positive impact in our body ́s health. Because of the antioxidant power it has it reduces considerably the presence of free radicals in our body, and can contribute to prevent cancer. Furthermore the hypoglycemic properties can help to lower the levels of sugar in our body which also makes our diet healthier. Additionally garlic has a low calorie count and that makes it of great help for weight control.

Uses of purple garlic in our kitchen

We can use purple garlic in virtually all the recipes in which we use common white garlic. In any case we´ll be using a product exceptionally good for our health.
We have several options to use garlic, we can prepare garlic bread (as a starter) or we can prepare more elaborate recipes such as pumpkin stuffed with spinach, mushrooms and garlic, garlic marinated chicken, garlic marinated shrimps or any stir-fry mushrooms or any appetizer.  There are plenty of uses for purple garlic in the mediterranean cuisine, garlic is a source of flavour and gastronomic pleasure and it combines very well with many other ingredients; let alone the fact that it’s one of the main ingredients of the typical Andalusian gazpacho.

When using purple garlic, we have to keep in mind that the flavour will be different if we use it raw or if we use it cooked. Raw or fried garlic has a stronger flavour than roasted garlic. When roasted, purple garlic, just as it happens with white garlic, turn somewhat sweeter which could be tolerated better by some. However many people prefer the powerful flavour of fried or raw garlic.

Do you want to know why our garlic is unique and worthy of the Las Pedroñeras Protected Geographical Indication? Keep reading:

Distinguishing features of Las Pedroñeras PGI purple garlic

How can we tell the Las Pedroñeras PGI purple garlic from other garlic types?

Here are some keys:

The bulb is medium sized, round shaped and uniform. It has 8 to 10 cloves slightly curved, covered in bold bright purple layers of skins. There are more characteristics that will help us to recognize it:

-Strong scent

-Spiciness

-High content of allicin

How can we tell it’s genuine Las Pedroñeras purple garlic

First of all look for the Las Pedroñeras purple garlic trademark

Second, the production method

The cloves used for planting multiplication come exclusively from healthy Las Pedroñeras purple garlic bulbs. The cultivation happens within an enclosed production area and the plots are controlled and registered under  the supervision of the Certification Institution.
Both the handling and packing are carried out by companies that are registered and supervised by the Certification Institution. At the reception areas of the designated handling facilities, every batch of bulbs is dealt with and controlled individually. When they arrive they are checked to make sure they comply with the requirements demanded by the existing market regulations and the technical specifications.
Garlic that comply with the requirements are always handled separately from any other type of garlic. Only those that comply with all the requirements along the process get to be put up for sale under the Geographical Indication designation. The product will be presented in packages with the distinguishing logo of the Protected Geographical Indication

In this post we wanted to share with you the main uses and properties of purple garlic. First, there are some characteristics that make purple garlic different from white garlic. It also has more pungency and a higher content in allicin, which is a substance with strong antibiotic and hypoglycemic effects and it’s also very antioxidant. Perfect for your health.