H1N1 fears lead to worldwide garlic shortage
OK, this is big news. Normally I wouldn't use the Gilroy Dispatch as my primary source, but as we all know, Gilroy, Calif. bills itself as the Garlic Capital of the World.
It turns out it's the Garlic Capital of the Free World.
The Dispatch is reporting that Chinese consumers believe that garlic will ward off the swine flu, so they've been stockpiling it. Now when the Chinese stockpile something, they make a difference in the world economy. ...
The result is skyrocketing international demand. This year China, which supplies about 70 percent of the world's garlic, exported only about half of its usual 200 million pounds. Blame H1N1 but also a smaller crop because of bad weather and fewer government subsidies. In any case, the price has tripled.
As Bucky said in response to this news:
I had developed personal contingency plans for just about every conceivable catastrophe: a major, paralyzing snow storm; a double-dip recession; the Colts winning the Super Bowl; developing that form of dementia where Lady Gaga starts to make sense.
But a garlic shortage? I'm just going to throw in the towel.
Comments
Hey, don't diss Lady GaGa! She does make sense. Dollars, too.
A garlic shortage is a tragedy, though. I hope they are hording it in the ground, so we have lots come fall.
Posted by: Lissa | February 2, 2010 4:01 PM
By the way, is it still possible to find honest-to-goodness garlic from Gilroy anymore? These days, it seems like the only garlic sold in local stores comes from China, and I've found that Chinese garlic rots a lot more quickly than genuine Gilroy garlic ever did (probably because of weeks spent in trans-Pacific ships).
Posted by: hmpstd | February 2, 2010 6:19 PM
hmpstd, much to my surprise, the garlic that Food Lion sells is Gilroy garlic.
BTW, I've never been to Gilroy but I've heard you can smell the garlic miles before you hit the town.
Posted by: Joyce W. | February 2, 2010 6:41 PM
I'm concerned about the Angostura Bitters shortage. I hope my bottle lasts until spring when more is supposed to arrive.
Posted by: Hal Laurent | February 2, 2010 7:19 PM
I don't understand this Lady Gaga, but then again in my entire music collection I think I only have three women singers: Stevie Nicks, Tanya Tucker and Karen Carpenter.
As to the garlic shortage, we can always use an American substitute. Switch to ramps, It's Appalachian garlic.
Posted by: Robert of Cross Keys | February 2, 2010 7:31 PM
RoCK, I'm somewhat surprised you have no Emmylou Harris.
Posted by: Hal Laurent | February 2, 2010 7:35 PM
The bulk garlic at the Canton Safeway is "Product of USA." Should I assume Gilroy?
Posted by: BankStreet | February 2, 2010 8:01 PM
The Canton Safeway isn't terribly religious about keeping their signs up-to-date and accurate. I notice this the most with the Clementines, as they're sold in boxes that reveal the true country of origin.
Posted by: Hal Laurent | February 2, 2010 8:06 PM
They couldn't stockpile creamed corn, could they? Could they!
Posted by: jl | February 2, 2010 8:41 PM
You gotta think this is the first time Karen Carpenter has ever been mentioned in a dining blog, don't you?
Wrong. And it was even a discussion you were part of. Scroll down the comments. EL
Posted by: Bucky | February 2, 2010 9:01 PM
You gotta think this is the first time Karen Carpenter has ever been mentioned in a dining blog, don't you?
Hardly surprising on this blog.
Posted by: Hal Laurentq | February 2, 2010 9:08 PM
Wrong. And it was even a discussion you were part of. Scroll down the comments. EL
Thank you. My post contained an homage and several disrespectful and clueless comments.
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | February 2, 2010 10:24 PM
Long ago and, oh, so far away...
Posted by: Bucky | February 2, 2010 10:58 PM
Considering how Karen Carpenter died, it was inevitable that she'd come up.
Posted by: Lissa | February 3, 2010 5:53 AM
May she rest in peace.
But getting back on topic ... I have driven through Gilroy many times, but it only reeks if you are there during harvest season, as I recall. The last time I drove through was last Thanksgiving, and the only clues were big signs proclaiming Gilroy "the Garlic Capital of the World."
Posted by: Dahlink | February 3, 2010 6:49 AM
They might not ward off vampires, but I've always been more partial to Castroville, CA, the artichoke capital of the world.
After all, they crowned Marylin Monroe Artichoke queen - when she still was Norma Jean!
captcha must be advocating single-payer:
medicine deadlock
Posted by: Odie B | February 3, 2010 11:27 AM
My understanding is that Gilroy Garlic is either owned by McCormick or McC has East Coast distribution rights.
I drove through Gilroy, CA. It had these odd little tchotchke shops devoted to garlic.
Posted by: Eve | February 3, 2010 1:45 PM
Eve, McCormick sold Gilroy Foods in 1996 to ConAgra Foods, which owns it nowadays.
Posted by: hmpstd | February 3, 2010 3:57 PM
Some years ago I visited my brother when he lived in SF, and we took a driving tour as far as Monterey. I could smell Gilroy's garlic fields long before we reached them, and it made my mouth water.
Captcha: by yoakum (Pappy, Mammy, or Li'l Abner?)
Posted by: Dottie | February 4, 2010 12:17 AM
...McCormick sold Gilroy Foods in 1996...
I must get out more.
Posted by: Eve | February 4, 2010 11:08 AM