General Information
Elephant Garlic or Russian garlic (Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum) is not a true garlic, but actually a variant of the species to which the garden leek belongs. It has a tall, solid, flowering stalk and broad, flat leaves much like those of the leek, but forms a bulb consisting of very large, garlic-like cloves. The flavor of these, while not exactly like garlic, is much more similar to garlic than to leeks. The flavor is milder than garlic, and much more palatable to some people than garlic when used raw as in salads.
In terms of flavor, elephant garlic is to garlic what leeks are to onions. It is much less intense and sweeter. It has been described – rather unkindly – as “garlic for people who don’t like garlic.”
