Trace Your Sweet Garleek
Breeder
During his decades of working with garlic and leeks from all over the world, allium breeder Hans Bongers identified a unique leek with uniformly straight shafts and a distinct garlicky flavor. He spent 10 years developing this trait, creating a cross that would express the sweetness of leeks with the mild, savory notes of garlic. The result of this love match, Sweet Garleek was first introduced to us by Bejo Seeds and immediately opened up a whole new world of allium possibilities.
Trial Network
Sweet Garleek was trialed over multiple seasons by our Trial Network, a participatory community of 150 chefs and growers. The network provided early feedback on the Sweet Garleek and explored its applications in the field and the kitchen. Chefs commented on the delicious, concentrated flavor, buttery texture and whole-plant deliciousness, tops and all.
Seed Producers
Our Sweet Garleek seeds were produced by Bejo Seeds, one of the world’s leading independent seed companies that specializes in alliums. Want to grow your own Sweet Garleek? The seeds are coming soon!
Growers
Flavor may start with the seed, but it lives or dies in the soil. To produce our Sweet Garleek, we turned to organic growers Muzzarelli Farms (Vineland, NJ), Red Fire Farm (Montague, MA), Wolf Tree Farms (Plainfield, MA) and Chicory Creek Farm (Mount Vision, NY), who know that delicious vegetables can only be grown in healthy soil. Sweet Garleek grows from spring to fall and is harvested at ½-inch diameter to maximize its tenderness and natural garlicky flavor. The bunches are shipped directly from the farm to Whole Foods, ready for your table.