Tongling Garlic

Tongling Garlic

　　Tongling Garlic, also known as “Taiping Garlic” or “Ting Garlic,” is renowned both in China and abroad and is one of the Eight Treasures of Tongling. The name “Ting Garlic” comes from its long-term cultivation in Tingzhou Village, Taiping Township (formerly part of Tongling). Historical records such as the *Annals of Tongling County* document that Tongling Garlic has been cultivated for thousands of years with a very stable variety, which is highly resistant to degeneration. It tolerates high temperatures, shows strong resistance to adverse conditions, and delivers high yields. The garlic bulbs are rich in vitamin C, carbohydrates, and various minerals, and boast a unique pungent flavor unmatched by other types of garlic. The green garlic shoots have an excellent taste, while the garlic scapes are slightly bitter. When grown in open fields without any protective facilities, the green garlic shoots can be marketed before National Day, making it one of the main vegetable varieties in the Tongling area that helps fill the autumn supply gap. Traditional producing areas include towns such as Tongling’s West Lake, Xuba, Anping, and Taiping. Tongling garlic bulbs are also known for their thin skin, white color, large size, delicious taste, abundant juice, rich oil content, and excellent storage life without spoilage. Tongling Garlic has a glorious history — in times of high production, in addition to meeting local market demand, it was also sold to other provinces such as Jiangxi and to Anqing Huyumei Brewing & Food Co., Ltd. Meanwhile, the county’s foreign trade department also organized purchases for export to Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asian countries, where it earned widespread praise both domestically and internationally.