Originating in Central Asia before spreading south to India, west to Egypt and Greece, and on to the new world in America, garlic is one of the few shared ingredients among most world cuisines. For the modern chef, this means stocking up on plenty of garlic to cover everything on the weekly dinner menu. However, the garlic you see at the grocery store is only one of 11 varieties. Experiment with growing each of these types of garlic to see which ones best suit your favorite dishes!

Hardneck Garlic

Hardneck garlic is distinguishable by the woody stalk that sits in-between the cloves, which, if left unpruned, grows upward into a scape. A miniature head of cloves like the parent bulb, the scape is a prized ingredient in some cultures. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can cut off the scape and use it in your cooking. Plus, cutting it off focuses the plant’s energy on the growth of the bulb.

A descendant of wild garlic, Hardneck garlic survives well in cold climates but takes longer to mature. The larger bulbs that result, however, are packed with flavor and come in different colors. Hardneck garlic will stay fresh for about 4 to 5 months on average, giving you plenty of opportunities to match it with different recipes. There are 8 strains of Hardneck garlic.

Rocambole

Perhaps the most well-known garlic variety, Rocambole is one of the simplest to grow at home, though it requires cold wintry conditions. Expect to harvest 8 to 12 cloves per bulb, which will keep for at least 6 months. Its remarkable reddish or pink striped skin is hard but loose, thus easy to peel. A natural choice for the everyday chef, the Rocambole cloves have the most pleasant flavor of all the varieties: bold and full-bodied. Its cultivars include Russian Red, Philips, German Mountain and Spanish Roja.

Purple Stripe

Recognizable by its purple-streaked bulbs, Purple Stripe is closely related to the Marbled and Glazed Purple Stripe varieties. It produces 8 to 12 cloves of a richly balanced and even sweet flavor. As such, Purple Stripe is a favorite choice for baking and other sweet treats, like garlic ice cream. Stemming from the Caucasus area, its Georgian cultivars include Shatili, Shvelisi, and Chesnok Red.

Glazed Purple Stripe

Glazed Purple Stripe perhaps beats the other varieties in beauty, with reddish-purple streaks carving through silvery skin under a glossy, metallic glow. In contrast to its striking appearance, its flavors tend to be milder due to its slender outer skin. The wide bulbs generally produce 6 to 12 cloves, which keep up to 7 months. This Eastern European garlic includes two cultivars called Red Rezan and Vevak.

Marbled Purple Stripe

Marbled Purple Stripe is aptly named for its ribs of purplish-red and white on smoothly textured skin. Because the cloves tend to be larger, they also tend to be fewer, with only 4 to 8 cloves per bulb. They store well for about 7 months. Marbled Purple Stripe has a more robust flavor than ordinary purple stripe, but it is another ideal choice for baking. The Siberian and Metechi cultivars also come from Eastern Europe and Russia.

Porcelain

If you love incredibly garlicky dishes, look no further than Porcelain garlic. Though it has a similar flavor profile to Rocambole, Porcelain has the most intense garlic flavor of all. Its smooth, papery white bulbs produce 2 to 6 remarkably large reddish-brown cloves, which keep up to 8 months. The Eastern European Porcelain garlic is associated with Polish Hardneck, Georgian Crystal, German White, and Romanian Red.

Asiatic

Asiatic hardneck usually comes in a rich dark purple hue with 4 to 8 cloves per bulb. Because it grows rapidly, it’s a good choice for the chef-turned-gardener who wants a quick turn-around. The flip side, though, is that it bolts after only 4 or 5 months. A fitting choice for Asian-inspired cooking, the Asiatic garlic tends to pack some heat and a bit of sweetness. The Asian Tempest and Pyongyang cultivars originally came from Korea.

Creole

If you’re interested in growing garlic but live in a warm region, consider the Creole variety. It grows best in warmer weather and even tolerates volatile conditions such as drought. The gorgeous vibrant red bulbs produce 8 to 12 cloves. With gentle nutty flavors and a touch of heat, Creole garlic is a highly versatile ingredient. Varieties like Creole Red and Burgundy will add complexity to any entrée.

Turban

This quirky garlic type is named for its stout shape at the top of the stalk, resembling a turban. The flat bulbs grow unusually quickly, producing a wide range of 5 to 12 light brown cloves. Upon reaching maturity, the skin starts to peel and the bulb sprouts shortly thereafter, which gives it limited shelf life. If its appearance weren’t enough to set it apart, its flavor profile certainly is. Turban garlic is spicy when raw, mild when cooked, and tastes surprisingly little like garlic. Cultivars like Chinese Purple, Shandong and Tzan come from all over the world.

Softneck Garlic

Though descended from Hardneck garlic, Softneck garlic is more typically seen in grocery stores. Softneck garlic is an excellent choice for beginner gardeners since it is low-maintenance, well-suited to a multitude of climate zones, and easily regrown or reproduced. The bulbs tend to be smaller but produce more cloves than hardneck. Its multi-layered papery skin preserves the cloves well, giving it a longer average shelf life than Hardneck of about 8 months. In contrast to Hardneck garlic, the Softneck’s stalk does not penetrate the center of its cloves and is uniquely supple enough to be braided. There are two main categories of Softneck garlic.

Artichoke

Artichoke Softneck garlic has fewer but larger cloves, producing 12 to 25 asymmetrical cloves per bulb. This garlic type tolerates various climates, growing conditions and soils, making it a preferred crop for commercial farmers and beginner gardeners. The delicate flavor is well-equipped for a range of culinary endeavors and lasts up to 10 months. While California Early and Red Toch are most common in supermarkets, try experimenting with the Early Red Italian and Inchelium Red as well.

Silverskin

Silverskin appears off-white with brownish undertones with multi-layered papery cloves. Certainly a significant bang for your buck, Silverskin produces up to 40 cloves per bulb, lasting as long as a year. On the other hand, these smaller cloves can be difficult to peel and come in a range of sizes, making it a less-than-ideal choice for chefs on a time crunch. Still, varieties like Kettle River Giant, Idaho Silver and Polish White offer a much stronger flavor than Artichoke.

Did you even realize that the grocery store only stocks one type of garlic? Perhaps you also didn’t know that garlic could be so versatile, both in growability and flavor. The Asiatic and the Turban pack a fiery punch to send your Asian stir fry or Indian curry to another universe. In the same vein, the Porcelain and Rocambole could make garlic bruschetta and a garlicky vodka sauce that will have your family raving for weeks. In this way, knowing your garlic will significantly upgrade your gardening skills just as much as your dinnertime pleasure.