Delicious garlic seen in a whole new light
And it’s not just innovative food products that the area is renowned for. There’s a thriving arts and crafts community too, woodworkers, jewellers, artists in scattered outposts, all creating unique products that enhance the special ethos of the place.
Over the last few months I’ve come across a number of people who, either by default or design, have set up small operations for the joy of it and also, of course, in the hopes of making a living.
Most of these West Cork entrepreneurs have realised that to survive in an area that is not exactly known for its employment opportunities, you have to have more than one string to your bow. And so some fascinating alternative enterprises have come into being to broaden and enrich our horizons.
Ireland’s first dedicated Garlic Farm, for instance. Who amongst us realised that garlic grew really well here? We thought it came from China, three small bulbs to a net.
Garlic has had a long and fascinating history over its 7,000-year existence, and not just for its pungent — and long-lasting — flavour either. Vampires, werewolves and all manner of beasties are reputed to be allergic to it. Ancient Egyptians worshipped garlic. Clay models of the bulbs were found in Tutankhamen’s tomb.
Garlic has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years.
Hippocrates and others all extol the virtues of garlic for treating all sorts of conditions from parasites respiratory problems to low energy.
The ancient Greeks placed garlic at crossroads, on a pile of stones, as a supper for the Goddess Hecate. In India, a potent posy of garlic lemon and red chilli is still placed in a doorway of many homes to ward off potential evil. And there aren’t many plants that can claim all that in their CV.
When it comes to cooking, garlic is equally versatile. Oils can be flavoured with garlic; it can also be used in bruschetta and other breads, and garlic leaves are a popular vegetable in many parts of Asia where they are cut and used as part of a stir-fry.
Garlic was used as an antiseptic to prevent gangrene during the First World War. More recently, a clinical trial discovered that a mouthwash containing fresh garlic showed good antimicrobial activity. It’s probably no surprise though that the majority of these participants reported an unpleasant taste and halitosis.
Relatively easy-going when it comes to growing. garlic can be produced all year round in mild climates. In colder areas it’s usually planted six weeks before the ground freezes and harvested in late spring. Large heads are needed from which to separate the cloves Garlic is grown globally, but China is by far the biggest producer with approximately 10.5m tonnes grown annually.
And it was this statistic that got garlic lovers Marye and artist husband Axel Miret wondering. They were already successfully growing several types of garlic in their own garden and it was much prized by friends and neighbours. But the most delicious varieties were not available in local shops.
>>“We’d had our own kitchen garden for the last ten years, and we did a pilot study last year, to see if growing commercially was viable. And we had started to sell in the local markets — namely Skibbereen, Dunmanway and Kinsale. The response was fantastic. People were amazed at all the different types of garlic there are and how you can use them.
>>“Yes, she has been very enthusiastic. And we have become known as The Garlic People. We have planted ten different kinds of garlic whose origins are in parts of Europe and Asia.
“So it’s a combination of the fertile soil of West Cork and the premium quality seed we use from the famous garlic farm on the Isle of Wight that’s made it all work.”
>>“No, there isn’t. But I can tell you that we are seriously thinking of developing one. The work can be back-breaking. We have some land rented from a neighbour and it’s been well cared for in the past. So that’s a definite advantage. But last year neither of us had any idea of just how hard we would be working now. I have a background in teaching and Axel is an artist so how could we know? Luckily we work really well together and we love what we are doing.
>>“Oh yes, the Start Your Own Business course, which was absolutely fantastic. We learned so much. In fact, it was them who advised us to expand from the kitchen garden and rent land. But, of course, now if we are going to make any kind of a living from this, we are going to have to produce more. In fact, we have figures out that to make a go of it; we need to plant 50,000 bulbs. And that’s a lot of work for just the two of us. We’re looking forward to the time when we can afford some help.”
>>“Garlic needs a well-drained but moisture-retentive soil with a moderate level of fertility and it does best in open, sunny positions. That’s the ideal of course, and we didn’t get that this year. The ground has been so wet; it’s made everything harder. Just walking in between the beds can be exhausting But garlic can be surprisingly hardy. When we had the really bad winter, it came through temperatures of -16 with hardly a shiver.”
>>“That’s definitely the plan. I trained as a herbalist for some time and despite all the hard work, we love producing something that’s so good, delicious, and that other people seem to be enjoying so much.”
