Laino Borgo Garlic: Calabrian excellence with a strong flavour

Small and precious. For your recipes, for your health, but also for the environment. This is white garlic from Laino Borgo, a Calabrian delicacy with a strong flavour and great therapeutic properties. It grows only here, in the heart of the Pollino National Park.

Laino Borgo, listed among the Authentic Villages of Italy, awaits you to tell you this story of resilient agriculture, ancient traditions and a wonderful territory, all waiting to be discovered.

In the last century, Laino Borgo had large expanses of land where small, fragrant white garlic was grown. This variety grows exclusively here and has always been known and appreciated by farmers for its qualities.

Even today, Laino garlic is still cultivated according to traditional methods, without chemical fertilisers but only with manure and by removing weeds by hand, which is why it can be considered a low-impact, high-quality form of agriculture. The 'bulbils' are sown, almost always by hand, at the end of October, while harvesting takes place in early July. This small bulbous plant has unique characteristics, thanks to a series of fortunate combinations, in particular the fertile soil and ideal climate. The bulbils are sown in parallel furrows spaced apart from each other, and in each furrow the bulbils are buried 5-8 cm deep.

After harvesting, the garlic is stored in braids or bunches, which are hung up and protected from the rain. These fragrant white bulbs are a key ingredient in the preparation of typical Pollino dishes, especially in combination with other products that the fertile soil of Pollino produces. You can enjoy sumptuous and flavourful first courses such as lagani e fasuli, cavatieddi e rascatieddi or main courses based on meat and potatoes. The touch of Laino Borgo garlic, with its strong flavour, enhances and exalts every recipe.

Laino Borgo garlic is a Calabrian delicacy, which is why it has been awarded the De.Co. designation, or Municipal Designation, an important recognition that promotes traditional local products. This certification of local authenticity guarantees controlled production processes and is indicated by a specific logo to make the brand recognisable. This is because the quality and characteristics of this garlic make it very different from those imported into Italy, often from faraway countries.

De.Co. enhances the product and links it even more closely to its territory, so that Laino Borgo garlic is fully entitled to be considered one of Italy's finest products to discover and enjoy, like Bianco Piacentino or Rosso di Sulmona. After tasting it and appreciating its flavour, you cannot leave Laino Borgo without a good supply of garlic. You can buy it in braids, bunches or in jars with the bulbs immersed in oil, flavoured with pepper and bay leaves and juniper, or even sweet and sour.