Description
The Ail Rose de Lautrec PGI is a type of garlic belonging to the certified quality Ibérose, Goulurose, Edenrose and Jardirose.
Production Area
The production area of the Ail Rose de Lautrec PGI includes 90 municipal areas characterized by clayey-limy soil, around Lautrec, in the department of Tarn in the Midi-Pyrenees region.
Production Method
Bulb sowing takes place between December and January; whereas the rigid stems are cut during June. After that, harvesting begins. There are three different methods: the traditional, halfway and stalk removal methods. In the traditional method the garlic is harvested with its leaves. It is then hung to dry on bars in dryers. In the halfway method the garlic is left to dry with its leaves in silos equipped with dynamic ventilation. In the stalk removal method the bulbs are harvested without the leaves and the garlic is left to dry in silos.
Appearance and Flavour
The Ail Rose de Lautrec PGI garlic is a springtime plant that germinates after a long winter resting period. Cloves are intense pink when the bulb is dry. Pink colour is visible through the last layer, once the overlapping layers are removed. The Ail Rose de Lautrec PGI is famous for its remarkable taste: sweet and subtle, its gentle flavour spices up every type of dish.
History
Garlic came from Central Asia five thousand years ago but the legend related to the origins of the Ail Rose de Lautrec PGI dates back to the Middle Ages. A travelling merchant, who did not have any money to pay the meal he had in a tavern, paid with pink cloves of garlic. The innkeeper then planted the cloves. The bulbs found a suitable soil and they grew up quickly, becoming then the characteristic farming activity in the area.
Gastronomy
The Ail Rose de Lautrec PGI can be conserved for a long time. It can be kept from one harvest to the next, between 12ºC and 15ºC in a dry and ventilated place. It can be consumed raw or cooked, combined with salads, meat, vegetables and legumes. It is better to use it raw to benefit from all its properties, and it has very low caloric intake. The Soupe à l'ail is famous and according to the areas, it is made with milk or water where garlic cloves are boiled. It is then served with toasted and garlic bread, sprinkled with oil. Savoury tarts of short crust pastry seasoned with vegetables, garlic and cheese are also excellent.
Marketing
The product is sold as Ail Rose de Lautrec PGI. It is marketed dry, in strings or loose in net packaging. Each packaging is numbered in order to allow product traceability. Packaging consists of a minimum of three bulbs, of up to 250 gr and 500 gr.
Distinctive Features
Ail Rose de Lautrec PGI unique pink colour, storability and flavour characteristics are direct consequences of the soil nature and the handicraft production of the area.
