Egyptian garlic: fresh and dry garlic, bulb sizes and packing

Egyptian garlic is harvested in spring and exported mainly from January to May, with dry garlic available later from storage. It is an attractive alternative origin for importers who want to diversify their garlic supply.

Fresh or dry garlic?

	Fresh garlic	Dry garlic
Timing	Early in the season, soon after harvest	After curing and drying
Skin	Moist, soft outer skins	Dry, papery skins
Shelf life	Shorter; needs cold chain	Longer; needs dry, ventilated storage
Typical buyers	Speciality retail, restaurants	Wholesale, retail, industry

White or purple

We supply both white and purple garlic. Purple garlic has coloured stripes on the skin and is preferred in some Mediterranean and Middle Eastern markets; white garlic is the more universal choice.

Bulb sizes

Garlic is graded by bulb diameter. Our range is 40–80 mm. Common export bands are 45–55, 55–65 and 65 mm+. Larger bulbs have bigger cloves and command higher prices.

Quality points

• Firm, well-filled bulbs with tight cloves.
• Clean, intact skins.
• Neck and roots trimmed to agreed length.
• No sprouting, mould or soft cloves.
• Tolerances for split bulbs and loose cloves.

Packing formats

• Branded mesh bags — printed with your brand, stacked on pallets.
• Cartons — for retail and foodservice.
• Plastic crates — for wholesale on short routes.

Storage and shipping

Garlic needs dry conditions. Fresh garlic is typically carried at 0 to +2 °C, while dry garlic travels in a ventilated programme. Relative humidity should stay around 65–70%; high humidity leads to mould and rooting. Garlic combines well with onions in the same programme because both need dry air.

For garlic, specify the type (fresh or dry), the colour and the bulb size — and keep the air dry.

See specifications on our Egyptian garlic page.