A to Z of French Herbs - Rose Garlic - L’ail Rose de Lautrec
Rose Garlic
Rose Garlic has a lighter flavour than regular white garlic. It definitely has a different fragrance to other garlics.
L’ail Rose de Lautrec is also from the Midi-Pyrénées. Legend has it that the pink garlic of Lautrec appeared in the middle Ages. A travelling salesman from far away stopped at a place called the Oustallarié Lautrec to eat. Having little money, he embellished his meal with pretty pink cloves he had bought with his and left some behind. The hostel staff planted them and the pink garlic of Lautrec was born.
Rose garlic is known for its pink coloured hue. Hue is the outside skin of the garlic. It has an extended dormancy in its growing period in Spring, which means that its harvesting period is usually around June-July. The garlic is bound into clusters called "manouilles”.
The floral stem is pruned early in the growing season in a process known as despoulinage, a local word meaning castration. This is done to concentrate growth and flavour in the underground bulbs. It’s longer than normal drying time means the garlic has a highly developed flavour. The Rose garlic is also known for its long term storage capabilities.
Lautrec
Each area within Lautrec growing the rose garlic usually claims to be the best. There is 87 municipalities in the region that the garlic is grown. The region has clay limestone soils that adds to the terror of the garlic.
The Ail Rosé de Lautrec garlic holds the Label Rouge, the red label, for its consistently high quality. It was awarded the red label in 1966. This was a prestigious occasion for the town and growers.
The village of Lautrec is in the department of Tarn in the Occitanie. Its most famous inhabitant was the amazing artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, who I think would have loved the think pink musical that I mentioned earlier.
Actually Lautrec wasn’t actually from Lautrec he was from the nearby town of Albi. Lautrec is listed among the most beautiful villages of France and also because of the garlic it’s recognised as a remarkable site for taste.
The village Lautrec has a beautiful 14th century market square, 17th century windmill that still works and beautiful church, oh and a roman road.
Ail Rose de Lautrec
In the year 940 Lautrec got its first viscount, a man called Sicard. This was a very important occasion apparently. In 1291, one of his descendants, Bernard de Lautrec, signed a charter which mentions a tax on garlic in the neighbouring town of Graulhet. This ancient parchment shows that garlic has been important to the area for hundreds of years.
There is a brotherhood and sisterhood of the pink garlic of Lautrec. There are over 200 members of the organisation. The Confrerie de l’ail rose de Lautrec organises a market of garlic every Friday when in season as well as an annual garlic festival at the beginning of August called the Fete de l’ail Rose A Lautrec.
This festival has been going every year since 1971. It’s held over two days. For the festival there’s artistic displays of the dried garlic as well as a taste of delicious Rose garlic soup a speciality of the region.