Importer Dutch Green from Amsterdam has had a new product in its assortment since the end of last year, Morado garlic from Spain. It is available both fresh and peeled. According to Patrick Oostveen of Dutch Green they are unique in having this particular garlic in their assortment. “Our country mainly imports garlic from China, and we wanted to make the delicious flavour of Morado garlic better known in the Netherlands.”
Stronger flavour
According to Oostveen the Spanish Morado garlic has large advantages over Chinese garlic. “First of all, smell and flavour are much stronger and more intense. This means people need less of it for a dish than when using Chinese garlic. One clove of Spanish Morado garlic is equal to three cloves of Chinese garlic. Normally, the price of, for example, Spanish peeled garlic is higher, but this is currently not the case. If Spanish garlic is more expensive during a certain period, it will still be cheaper in relation because you need a smaller amount to get the same flavour effect.
“With every new harvest a number of bulbs are kept apart, peeled and cut into small parts. These are put under a microscope in a laboratory and the small roots are removed. Of those roots, twelve are put into a seed tray. In different phases they grow in the seed trays, and eventually in greenhouses. Once they have reached a certain size, they are planted in the fields. By numbering the pots, track is also being kept on which plants are planted in which field. After a process of sixteen months, there is new garlic again. The large advantage of this is that the best quality is always guaranteed.”
Fresh and peeled
The Morado garlic is imported directly from Spain. “We currently have a solid supply and demand is high. There is also a shortage from China, so we can fill the resulting gap in the market. The fresh garlic is available in several sizes, including 12x250 grammes, 9x500 grammes, 6x1,000 grammes and Black Garlic at 6x2 pieces. Peeled they are available in reclosable jars of one kilo, and garlic paste is also available in reclosable jars of one kilo. The peeled variant is the counterpart of the Chinese vacuum-packed garlic. Because freshly peeled garlic needs to breathe, it is inadvisable to vacuum-pack them.”
P.G.I.
“All of our Spanish Purple Morado garlic is PGI-certified, or Protected Geographical Indication-certified. The harvest of Morado garlic is done technically by cultivators in laboratories. The cultivation is registered from root to harvest. The process takes sixteen months in total.”
For more information:
Patrick Oostveen
Dutch Green BV
Food Center Amsterdam
Jan van Galenstraat 4 Pier R1
1051 KM Amsterdam
(+31) 20-3035050
(+31) 6-13256887
www.dvgroup.nl