Which regions are the main production areas of garlic scapes?
Garlic scapes are the flower stems pulled from bolting garlic. Garlic originated in West Asia and Central Asia. Since Zhang Qian was sent on a mission to the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty and brought garlic back to settle in China, it has a history of more than two thousand years and has become an indispensable seasoning in people's daily lives. By custom, what people usually call "garlic" refers to the garlic bulb. Now let's take a look at where garlic scapes are produced!
Where are garlic scapes produced?
Garlic scapes are widely distributed in China and are grown in both the north and the south. Sheyang County in Jiangsu Province is a major production area for garlic scapes and garlic bulbs and has been named "China's Home of Garlic Scapes" by the state. In addition, Laiwu and Jinxiang in Shandong, Pizhou in Jiangsu, and Qi County and Zhongmu in Henan are all major production areas for garlic scapes and garlic bulbs, and Daming County in Hebei Province also has garlic as its main product. Shanghe garlic scapes are of good quality. Because they have the characteristics of being fragrant, spicy, rich and sticky, and their allicin content is significantly higher than that of other production areas, they are known as "the best garlic under heaven."
Garlic's growth habits
Garlic prefers cool conditions, with a suitable temperature of ~5~26°C. Seedlings have the strongest cold resistance at the 4-5 leaf stage, which is the most suitable seedling stage for overwintering. Garlic that has completed vernalization begins flower bud and bulbil differentiation under long-day conditions of more than 13 hours and relatively high temperatures, while under short-day and cool conditions, it is only suitable for stem and leaf growth. It likes moisture and fears drought, and has no strict requirements for soil, but fertile loam rich in organic matter, loose and breathable, with strong water retention and drainage performance is more suitable.
How to select garlic scapes
1. Look at the appearance: mainly check whether there is any damage and whether it looks very wilted. Fresh garlic scapes have relatively neat roots and tops, are uniform in thickness and plump.
2. Look at the color: garlic scapes can be green or dark green, and the dark green ones are slightly more tender. If the tip is very plump and very emerald green, then it is relatively fresh.
3. Test whether it is old or tender: pinch off a small section of the root end of the garlic scape. If it breaks easily, that shows it is very fresh. But do not pinch off too much, to avoid waste.
4. Look at the thickness: garlic scapes that are too thin do not taste strong, while those that are too thick are hard to cook thoroughly and hard to bite through. Medium-thickness garlic scapes have the best flavor.