native to: central Asia
in season here: summer, but only for a few weeks
Garlic scapes, also known as kuki-ninniku or garlic stalks, shoots, tops, stems, or curls, are the flower stalks of the garlic plant, cut before they bloom to encourage the plant to produce larger bulbs. They have a texture similar to asparagus and a mild garlic flavor, look really cool, and signal that the summer has begun. Since they're from the garlic plant, they offer many of the same health benefits as regular garlic, including helping improve blood oxygen levels, protecting against osteoarthritis and cancer, helping safeguard the liver and kidneys from oxidative stress, and stimulating the immune system. They also provide nutrients that protect the skin and lungs. Scapes are a good source of vitamins A and B6, calcium, manganese, and selenium.
If left to grow, the scape will produce a flower and then bulbils, tiny bulbs that take the place of seeds in garlic's reproductive process. Farmers remove this flower stalk to keep the plant from putting energy into growing these bulbils instead of "concentrating" on the main bulb. The bulbils are not usually eaten, although there has been some speculation among farmers....
Scapes can be sliced thinly and added raw to salads or anything you might do with chives or scallions. You can also cook them; try them in your favorite asparagus dish or stir-fry concoction.
Read more:
five reasons to eat scapes
an oddly-written article with lots of recipe ideas
Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
