Why Spending Less Than a Cent Makes More Sense
Many consumers are unaware that an estimated 160 million pounds of Chinese garlic were imported last year, representing well over half the domestic market. Despite proven inferiority in freshness and flavor, Chinese garlic continues to appeal to price shoppers. While there is a difference in price that may seem significant when compared by the jar or by the pound, looking at it on the more practical scale of price per serving reveals that the gap is relatively small.There are roughly 140 cloves in a pound of peeled garlic. Depending on the market, Chinese typically sells for 75 cents/pound, which breaks down to .54 cents a clove. Christopher Ranch California Heirloom garlic is priced at $1.50/pound, or 1.07 cents per clove.
We sampled 25 recipes and found the average garlic use per plate to be 1.17 cloves. The average dish then contains roughly .63 cents worth of Chinese garlic or 1.25 cents worth of Christopher Ranch garlic, a difference of only half a cent! In terms of food cost, that amounts to less than a tenth of a percent. Specifying Christopher Ranch garlic won't significantly impact the bottom line, but it can make a considerable difference in the quality of recipes. Considering that garlic flavor lays the foundation for so many dishes, is it worth gambling with Chinese product over half a penny? In many cases, the flavor of Chinese garlic dissipates so rapidly that it is actually cheaper to go with Christopher Ranch because it requires less for a bold, true garlic flavor.
So doesn't spending less than a cent more make sense?
From this perspective, the price differential is minimal, but the increase in value is tremendous. Better freshness, more flavor, and guaranteed safety from a family-owned farm located right here in the