On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 11:18:44 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:

> Phyllis Stone wrote:
>> "Nancy Young" > wrote
>
>>> Supposedly you can tell if the roots are gone, I never buy garlic
>>> that is like that.
>>>
>>> I did buy fresh garlic at the farmers market this morning, can't wait
>>> to break into it.
>
>> Do you mean that the bottom of the bulb is cut off? I try so hard to
>> avoid China stuff but I use lots of garlic.
>
> As I understand it, the garlic is irradiated and for that reason, the
> roots fall off. If the garlic bulb is smooth, I don't buy it.
>
> nancy

i read this a while back from an australian blogger:

Want irradiated garlic? Go to the supermarket and buy Chinese garlic. I saw
documents the other day from the Chinese nuclear industry that gave the
specifications for the irradiation machines used in their garlic industry.

Three good ways to tell Chinese garlic:

1. The whole box will be all perfectly large and white. (Australian
buyers only buy the cosmetically perfect Chinese garlic)
2. There will be no roots on the bottom of the bulb. (Workers will have
cut these away to sped up the drying process)
3. It will have the Country of Origin label

<http://www.gmagazine.com.au/blog/521/is-your-garlic-irradiated>

your pal,
blake