Common garlic types and weight

Garlic is one of the most frequently used ingredients in the world. Numerous recipes require garlic, and it can be used for medicinal purposes too. Many people from Central Asia have long claimed that garlic has been cultivated in the Mediterranean for more than 5,000 years. It is also believed that garlic can boost one’s strength when consumed. Centuries ago, gladiators would eat garlic before battle and Egyptian slaves would consume the famous veggie to help them build the pyramids. With its rich history, garlic comes in many forms, so we are going to take a look at the most common types of garlic, their respective weight, and show you how to measure garlic in your recipes.

Common types of garlic

There are two different types of garlic, which are softneck garlic (Allium sativum) and hardneck garlic (Allium ophioscorodon). Some people also count elephant garlic as a third type, but it is not actually the same as the other two, as it is more of a variant of the leek than a proper category of its own.

Softneck Garlic

Softneck garlic is the most common type of garlic that you see in most grocery stores. This type of garlic has multiple layers of cloves and does not have a central stem. There are a few varieties of softneck garlic, the two most common ones are artichoke and silverskin. The artichoke garlic got its name from its resemblance to artichoke vegetables, with multiple overlapping layers containing up to 20 cloves, while the silverskin garlic heads are braided together.

Hardneck Garlic

Hardneck garlic has a woody stalk in the middle of the head. It has fewer cloves than the softneck varieties due to the way its cloves are formed in a single layer around the stalks. The most common type of hardneck garlic is ‘Rocambole,’ which has large cloves that are easy to peel and have a more intense flavor than softneck garlic.

How much does garlic weigh?

The problem when trying to include garlic in a recipe is that it can be quite difficult to know how many cloves of garlic should be used. Each type of garlic comes in different sizes, so it is hard to put the exact amount down. Still, we can estimate how much weight each part of garlic has, thanks to the following table below;

For the other measurements, we will use the following: a metric tablespoon (15 ml) and a metric cup (250 ml). Since most recipes ask for cloves, it is essential to know how to convert this to a more standardized measurement. Otherwise, you may add a lot more garlic than you really want to and therefore, ruin your recipe!

Garlic’s weight measured with Metric tablespoons

Here’s a list of raw garlic measurements that are often used in recipes, and how to measure those with a tablespoon:

Garlic’s weight measured with a metric cup

Here’s a list of raw garlic measurements that are often used in recipes, and how to measure those with a metric cup:

With this information, you can now measure an appropriate amount of garlic and make your cooking session easier!