I Went to the Carp Garlic Festival and it was Awesome -

On Saturday, August 12th, I woke up extra early to drive across town for the 18th Annual Carp Garlic Festival. Located at the largest producer-based Farmers’ Market in Eastern Ontario, the Carp Farmers’ Market, the festival was brimming with (lots and lots and lots) of fresh garlic bulbs, garlic decorations, garlic samples, garlic tasting, garlic braiding demonstrations, garlic cooking demonstrations, a garlic contest, and pretty much anything else that involves garlic (there was even garlic gelato!!!). In short, it is garlic heaven for garlic lovers (or your worst nightmare if you are a vampire).

It had actually been quite a few years since I last visited this Market. It is quite a trek for me to get there, but once I arrived, it was totally worth it! In addition to the beautiful market building and the usual market fare, there were garlic-only vendors and over 86 varieties of fresh garlic and garlic products (spreads, dressings, jams, baskets, pottery, etc). There was so much to discover!

I went to the Garlic Festival because I was on a mission. I wanted to bring home:

a) Really good garlic

b) Black Garlic

c) A garlic product that I would not be able to find anywhere else or make myself

There were so many stalls and garlic things though, that my mission seemed a little overwhelming at the beginning. The first thing I did was scout all the stalls to see what was being offered, to learn more about the producers, to find out prices, and especially to learn more about garlic itself.

I found black garlic pretty quickly from Garlic Pantry, who also had samples of it to try. I kept hearing about BG on my favourite food sites, but I had never actually tried it. It tastes sweet and it is chewy, reminiscent of a jujube candy, with a faint garlicky aftertaste. I immediately picked up a couple packs of black cloves to bring home.

This vendor also had smoked garlic, which have the sweetness of roasted garlic combined with a rich smokiness. This was definitely a garlic product that I could not find anywhere else and I am not able to make myself, so three heads of this garlic came home with me! I had completed 2/3 tasks from my mission at this point.

I hadn’t quite made up my mind which garlic I wanted to purchase until I spotted the Event Tent – ie where the demos, judging (for best garlic in different categories) and garlic-tasting took place!

In the tent, I tasted an obscene amount of award-winning garlic. Not only was I surprised with the differences in taste and intensity of heat, I also had the opportunity to learn about hardneck vs softneck varieties (this article sums up what I learned fairly well).

I was then offered a “garlic shot” – after already garlicking it up with over a dozen samples, I gave it a go! I declined adding hot sauce to it because I wanted it to be as garlicky as possible. My shot contained the Purple Stripe and Ivan garlic from the photo above, as well as lemon juice. It was actually really tasty – I can see myself making this when I am sick or if I want a pick-me-up for my skin.

I really liked the Purple Stripe and Ivan garlic varieties from Stone Soup Farm. They had a great bite, while still maintaining a great flavour. They were the hottest varieties to win awards at this year’s festival. I could only bring home one bunch though, so I ended up purchasing the Ivan variety because it has a longer shelf life.

After getting my garlic on and exploring the market, it was time to grab lunch. I headed to the “food court” vendors and spotted this sign:

I knew right then and there that it was time for a cheat meal because this was what I needed in my life.

The name of the stall is pretty self-explanatory. They put BBQ grilled bacon (side bacon, back bacon, or a combo of both) on a bun with your choice of add-ons and toppings. I went with “The Works”, which had both kind of bacon, an egg, and aged cheddar. I added tomato and lettuce to pretend I was being healthy. It was SO GOOD.

I washed it down with a really refreshing hibiscus water from Fiesta Mexican Food. If they bottled this and sold it, I would buy it. It was floral, fruity, and lightly sweetened.