Sulmona Red Garlic
As the name of the garlic recalls, it is cultivated in the area of Sulmona, a Park Municipality. It belongs to the pink garlic group. The winy red color characterizes the last protective tunic of the bulbil, while the outer tunics are white. Sulmona garlic is the one and only Italian ecotype in which the flower scapes sprout regularly, every year. A very particular usage of the area of Sulmona is linked to the latter, that are gathered in bunches before they bloom in June and, after boiling them, they are preserved in oil and locally called castratelli, tolle, or zolle and used as a side dish. The high content in active ingredients give to this product a particularly spicy aroma and taste. The garlic cultivation in the plain of Sulmona boasts an ancient tradition, as witnessed by Panfilo Serafini (1817-1864) and Teodoro Bonanni (1888).
