Tuscan Garlic Shoots

The floral scapes of the Valdichiana Aglione, a Slow Food Presidium, are uniquely sweet and easily digestible.

A seasonal rarity from the farmers of Cortona and Trasimeno, from Etruscan tradition to the iconic dish of pici all'aglione

Tuscan Aglione Shoots: Authenticity and Artisanal Flavor

I Tuscan Garlic Shoots I'm a precious seasonal excellence of the peasant tradition of Valdichiana, the territory between the Eastern Tuscany (Cortona, Foiano della Chiana, Marciano) and theNorthwestern Umbria (Trasimeno area). These are the young people floral scapes ofAglione of the Valdichiana — Slow Food Presidium, native variety with a gigantic bulb — harvested by hand in the short spring-summer period. They present themselves as very tender green stems, fleshier and thicker than the shoots of common garlic, with a characteristic sweet and deep flavor with surprising notes of wild leek and young onion — much softer and more digestible than traditional garlic. gastronomic philosophy of the shoots is to enhance the plant in every part of it, valorising a native variety that modern cereal cultivation had almost cancelled out.
 
 
 

The roots of Aglione lie in the Etruscan civilization of the Valdichiana

The Aglione of the Valdichiana (allium ampeloprasum there. Holmense) is one of the most popular products historically fascinating of Italian horticulture: despite the name, it's not a common garlic (Allium sativum) but a variety botanically more related to the leek, characterized by a gigantic bulb — up to 20 centimeters in diameter e 800 grams of weight — composed of only 1-3 huge cloves (compared to the 10-15 small ones of common garlic). Its most striking feature is its flavour: extremely sweet and delicate, totally devoid of the aggressiveness of classic garlic, and — historically legendary fact — does not leave the characteristic garlic breath after consumption. Its cultivation has been documented since the time Etruscan: the Etruscans of Cortona, Chiusi and the area of Lake Trasimeno They already cultivated this variety, considered a sacred food and a plant with medicinal properties. Throughout the Middle Ages and up until modern times, Aglione was the cornerstone of Valdichiana peasant cuisine. Nine hundred, its cultivation was almost abandoned in favor of the more productive and faster maturing common garlic. Only in the last 15-20 years, thanks to the gastronomic revaluation of the new Tuscan cuisine and to recognition Slow Food Presidium in 2009, the Aglione is back on the table — with the iconic dish of the “pici all'aglione” celebrated throughout the Valdichiana.
 
 
 

Choosing Aglione Talli means choosing digestibility and elegance

The Tuscan Aglione shoots offer unique nutraceutical benefits: they share with the Aglione bulb the extraordinary digestibility and delicate organoleptic profile, in an even softer vegetal version. They contain allicin and sulfur compounds (drive, diallyl sulfides) — the famous active ingredients of garlic with documented antibacterial, antiviral and beneficial action for the cardiovascular system — but in much lower concentration compared to common garlic: this makes them a food tolerable even for those who suffer from gastric reflux or intolerance to classic garlic. They provide Vitamin C in high concentration (significantly higher than the bulb), Vitamin K, B vitamins, folate, Manganese, Iron, selenium, fibers e chlorophyll with purifying and antioxidant action. The conduction Biological and manual harvesting guarantee maximum organoleptic quality. Naturally vegans, gluten free, very low calorie.
 
 
 

How to Best Use: Tuscan Garlic Shoots

• PICI ALL'AGLIONE: THE ICONIC DISH OF CORTONA CUISINE
  The most used identity and iconic of the Talli di Aglione is the spring version of the famous “pici all'aglione”, a flagship dish of the cuisine of Valdichiana, Cortona, Montepulciano and Pienza. Cut the stems into 2-3 cm pieces, fry them slowly in extra virgin olive oil for 5-8 minutes without browning them, add the Organic Tomato Puree and cook the sauce for 15 minutes with a pinch of Organic Sicilian chili pepper. Mix with the Pici with Organic Ancient GrainsA seemingly simple peasant dish that expresses the full identity of local Tuscan cuisine. For the summer version, use Organic Pachino Tomato diced for a fresher and less cooked sauce. Also excellent as a condiment for tagliatelle with white ragù e spring risottos.
• TRADITIONAL TUSCAN OMELETTES, SAVOURY PIES AND FOCACCI
  The Aglione shoots are agourmet addition to all the preparations of the Tuscan spring cuisine: for the classic Valdichiana omelette, finely chop 200 g of shoots, fry them briefly in extra virgin olive oil, mix them with 6 beaten eggs with grated pecorino cheese and parsley, cook in an iron pan for a fluffy and fragrant omelette. For rustic savory pies, distribute them on a base of shortcrust pastry with fresh ricotta, spinach and Falisco Aged Pecorino grated. Also excellent as a filling for Tuscan ravioli, Potato tortelli of the Lucca tradition, and as an addition in ancient grain focacciaFor a peasant snack, combine them with a tuscany schiacciata with new EVO oil from the pressing.
• SAUTEED, MARINATED AND PRESERVED IN OIL
  The Aglione shoots are splendid pan-fried As an aromatic side dish — 3-4 minutes over high heat in extra virgin olive oil with salt and a squeeze of lemon — perfect as an accompaniment to white meats, grilled fish, or beef cuts. For a more traditional version farmer-style marinade, blanch the shoots for 1 minute in boiling salted water, cool them in water and ice, and store them in a jar with EVO oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and bay leaves for 24 hours before consuming. For preserves in oil long-lasting, prepare them in sterilized jars and cook in a bain-marie for 30 minutes — or, as an alternative to DIY, discover the Tuscan Aglione from Valdichiana as a preserved ingredient. The thalli can also be to freeze in pieces for winter pasta and risotto.

Ingredients

Aglione shoots (allium ampeloprasum there. Holmense) from Valdichiana, fresh in season, from organic farming.
 
 
 

Food container

Store fresh thalli in refrigerator at +4°C / +6°C in the vegetable section, inside a paper bag or a damp cloth that keeps the stems fresh without creating condensation. They keep in excellent condition for 5 7-daysThey can be frozen cut into 2-3 cm pieces: after a very short blanching (30 seconds in boiling water, cooling in water and ice), they can be kept for up to 6-8 months in the freezer, perfect for winter pasta and risotto. They are also excellent dried in thin slices in a dehydrator at 50°C for a few hours, to be used as aromatic condiment for soups and broths. The preservation in EVO oil (with vinegar, salt and bay leaves) requires sterilizing the jars and cooking in a bain-marie to ensure food safety.
 
 
 

Nutritional Values ​​(indicative average values ​​per 100g of fresh product)

• Energy: 117 kJ / 28 kcal
• Fat: 0,3 g (of which saturated fatty acids: 0 g)
• Carbohydrates: 5,2 g (of which sugars: 1,9 g)
• Fiber: 2,3 g
• Protein: 1,4 g
• Salt: 0,01 g

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