In the Field

One of the most distinctive characteristics of Rocamboles is their umbel, which typically contains only a dozen or two, fairly large, bulbils. They're so large, in fact, that you can usually get an reasonably sized full bulb, with 5 cloves or so, the very first year. Aside from the umbels, the bulbs themselves are unique in that they have anywhere from 7 to 10 cloves, which are often poorly differentiated, making it challenging to pop into individual cloves for planting. "Is this one clove, or three?" is commonly heard around the popping table. But don't let that dissuade you from growing these if you're interested in outstanding flavor and are not afraid of the little extra effort it sometimes takes to grow these gems. Be sure your soil is well drained since they don't like "wet feet." Expect a shorter, beefier looking plant overall than, say, the more slender and taller Porcelain varieties.