Wando Cheongsando, Elephant Garlic Flowers in Full Bloom Catch Attention

Emerging as New Agricultural Income and Landscape Crops

Elephant Garlic Flowers in Cheongsando, Wando (Photo by Wando-gun)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyung-pil] In Cheongsando, Wando-gun, the first Slow City in Asia, the purple flowers of Korea's native elephant garlic are blooming beautifully, attracting attention.

According to Wando-gun on the 16th, as part of the marine healing functional resource development project, a native elephant garlic cultivation project was promoted on a scale of 14,870㎡ in areas including Seopyeonje filming site in Slow City Cheongsando, Sinpung-ri, Jiri, Jinsan-ri, Sangseo-ri, and Eup-ri.

Elephant garlic is a large bulbous plant belonging to the Liliaceae family of the order Liliales. It tastes similar to onion, and its bulbs are 3 to 5 times larger than regular garlic, hence it is called king garlic or giant garlic.

In particular, it contains about twice the amount of scordinin, which has tonic and restorative functions, compared to regular garlic. It also has a high allicin content, known to help with sterilization and antibacterial effects, as well as blood circulation, digestion, and diabetes.

The county plans to develop the purple flowers that taste like garlic, garlic scapes, and bulbs with a flavor between garlic and onion into representative local foods and functional nutritional products. At the same time, elephant garlic will be fostered as a major agricultural specialty product and sold as horticultural flower bulbs.

When thinking of 'Cheongsando,' the yellow canola flowers that color the island come to mind, but after the canola flowers fade, the elephant garlic flowers bloom fully, rapidly emerging as a new scenic crop expected to help attract tourists.

Meanwhile, the 'Cheongsando Night Walk' event will be held for two days starting from the 19th.

During the day, visitors can stroll along the Seopyeonje road lined with blooming elephant garlic flowers, and at night, enjoy various programs such as performances, exhibitions, and events against the backdrop of fireflies and the Milky Way, including the Cheongsando night tour.

Elephant garlic can be eaten in various ways. Adding it to salads or bibimbap, or grilling or stir-frying it reduces its spiciness and enhances its sweetness, making it easier to eat.

It can also be pickled or marinated in honey, or enjoyed as black garlic or extract.

Lee Eun-hee, head of the Cheongsan-myeon consultation office at Wando-gun Agricultural Technology Center, said, "Elephant garlic will be a win-win product that contributes not only to income generation for island farmers but also to attracting tourists as a scenic crop."

For more details, contact the Cheongsan Agricultural Consultation Office at Wando-gun Agricultural Technology Center.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.