Korean Mountain
CCOF & USDA Certified Organic
Grown in the nutrient-rich volcanic soils of Basaltic Farms, Korean Mountain is a striking hardneck garlic variety prized for its vibrant purple-streaked skin, bold spicy heat, and robust flavor profile. A staple in Korean cuisine, Korean Mountain delivers intense flavor with a sharp bite that mellows beautifully when cooked. Its compact, easy-to-peel cloves and strong aroma make it a favorite among chefs and home cooks alike. Perfect for planting or culinary use.
Korean Mountain has between 5 and 8 bulbs per pound. Each bulb has between 4 and 6 seeds
| (LBS) Volume Discount | Garlic Seed Price |
|---|---|
| 5 | $0.25 Off |
| 10 | $0.50 Off |
| 25 | $1.00 Off |
| 50 | $1.50 Off |
| 100 | $2.00 Off |
| Bulk Discount | Click for Information |
Now taking Pre-Orders for the 2026 Season!
Orders Begin shipping in September.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Korean Mountain.
Korean Mountain is one of our more rare hardneck varieties — an Asiatic garlic that’s not easy to find from most seed garlic farms. The bulbs have a distinctive rough, rustic look with papery wrappers and large firm cloves that deliver a bold burst of heat followed by a warm, lingering spiciness. Originally from the Republic of Georgia despite the name, this variety has become a favorite among growers who want big cloves and serious flavor.
What really sets Korean Mountain apart is its productivity and timing. Asiatic varieties mature weeks ahead of Porcelains and Purple Stripes, which means you’re pulling fresh garlic out of the ground while other varieties are still growing. For market growers that early harvest is a competitive edge, and for home gardeners it means fresh garlic sooner when last year’s storage supply is running low.
Like other Asiatics, Korean Mountain doesn’t strictly require vernalization, which makes it a viable hardneck option for growers in warmer climates where varieties like Music or German Red won’t form proper bulbs. It also handles cold northern winters just fine — we grow it at 3,100 feet here in McArthur, California, and it performs well for us year after year. The one thing to watch is harvest timing. Korean Mountain matures suddenly, and if you wait too long the wrappers will split on you. Once those lower leaves start browning, get in there and start checking.
Here are the most common questions we receive about growing, harvesting, and enjoying this remarkable Asiatic garlic variety.
Growing Success for Seed Garlic Buyers
How many cloves per bulb and bulbs per pound should I expect?
Korean Mountain produces 4 to 6 cloves per bulb, all of them large and firm enough for planting. You’re looking at roughly 6 to 8 bulbs per pound, which gives you an estimated 24 to 48 plantable cloves per pound. That’s fewer cloves per pound than our Artichoke softnecks but each clove is substantial and will produce a full-sized bulb.
Does Korean Mountain need cold winters to grow properly?
Not strictly. Korean Mountain is an Asiatic variety, and Asiatics don’t require vernalization the way Porcelains or Rocamboles do. It’ll grow in warmer climates where some hardneck varieties won’t form proper bulbs. That said, it still benefits from cold exposure where available and performs well in northern growing zones. We grow it at 3,100 feet with real winters and it does great.
What spacing and planting depth should I use?
Plant cloves 2 inches deep in mild winter areas, 3 to 4 inches deep in colder zones. Pointy end up, flat root end down. Space them 4 to 6 inches apart with about 12 inches between rows. Mulch with clean straw after planting to hold moisture and protect through winter. Never use hay — it’s loaded with weed seeds. Learned that one the hard way.
Will Korean Mountain produce scapes I need to remove?
Maybe. Korean Mountain is weakly bolting, so it may or may not throw a scape depending on your climate. Research suggests it doesn’t strictly need scape removal for bulb sizing, but we still recommend cutting them if they show up. It’s easy insurance for bigger bulbs, and the scapes are great eating — toss them in a stir-fry or blend them into pesto.
What kind of yields can I expect from Korean Mountain?
Korean Mountain is a productive variety that sizes up well. The bulbs tend to be a little rough in shape compared to something like Music, but the clove size is consistently large. First-year growers should expect moderate yields while they get their timing and soil dialed in. The main thing is nailing the harvest window — get it right and you’ll be rewarded with big, firm bulbs. Miss it and you’ll be dealing with split wrappers.
Flavor Profile & Culinary Characteristics
How hot is Korean Mountain compared to other garlic?
It’s on the hotter end of the spectrum. Raw, it leads with a strong burst of heat that’s more intense than varieties like Music or Inchelium Red. It’s not quite as sharp and pungent as Thai Purple — Korean Mountain’s heat is fuller and more rounded, building gradually rather than hitting you all at once. If you’re used to mild grocery store garlic, Korean Mountain will be an eye-opener.
What dishes bring out the best in Korean Mountain?
Anything where garlic is meant to be a lead ingredient rather than background flavor. It’s excellent in stir-fries, bold sauces, marinades, and dishes with strong flavors that can stand up to the heat. It works particularly well sautéed in oil, where the flavor opens up and becomes rich and aromatic without being overwhelming. Soups and roasted meats are another great fit.
Is Korean Mountain a good roasting garlic?
It works for roasting, but it’s not the one I’d grab first if sweet roasted garlic is what you’re after — that’s Chesnok Red territory, nothing beats it for sweetness when baked. Korean Mountain holds onto more of its heat through roasting than milder varieties, which gives you roasted garlic with some backbone. If you want something between mellow sweetness and raw intensity, roasted Korean Mountain hits that middle ground.
How does the flavor change from raw to cooked?
Pretty dramatically. Raw, Korean Mountain is intense — strong heat with a lingering bite. Cooking brings the heat down and lets the deeper garlic flavor come through. Sautéing is where I think it’s at its best — the sharpness softens and you get this rich, warm, aromatic quality that makes everything in the pan smell incredible. Even roasting mellows it significantly, though it never gets as sweet as a Purple Stripe.
I usually cook with mild garlic — would Korean Mountain be too much for me?
It might be if you use it the same way. The trick is to adjust your quantity. Where you might toss in three or four cloves of Inchelium Red without thinking twice, start with one clove of Korean Mountain and see how it sits. Cooking tames it a lot, so even if you prefer milder garlic, Korean Mountain can work in cooked dishes if you dial back the amount. But if you’re eating garlic raw and you prefer it gentle, stick with Susanville or Inchelium Red and save the Korean Mountain for the stove.
Varieties & Selection
What garlic subgroup does Korean Mountain belong to?
Korean Mountain is an Asiatic variety, which is a subgroup of hardneck garlic. Asiatics are weakly bolting, meaning they may or may not produce a scape depending on your climate and growing conditions. They’re one of the earliest maturing garlic groups and are known for bold, hot flavor with large firm cloves.
Why is it called Korean Mountain if it's from the Republic of Georgia?
Good question — the name is a bit misleading. Despite the name, Korean Mountain is believed to have originated from the Republic of Georgia, not Korea. It’s one of those things in the garlic world where common names don’t always match the actual origin story. Regardless of where it started, it’s become a popular Asiatic variety among growers for its productivity and bold flavor.
How does Korean Mountain differ from your Porcelain and Purple Stripe varieties?
Music is a Porcelain with 4 to 7 big cloves and a classic bold garlic flavor. Chesnok Red is a Purple Stripe with about 12 medium cloves that gets incredibly sweet when roasted. Korean Mountain falls in the 4 to 6 clove range like Music but the flavor is different — it hits you with a strong burst of heat upfront that fades into a mellow spiciness. It also matures weeks earlier than both of those varieties, which is a real advantage if you want fresh garlic sooner.
What makes Asiatic garlic different from other hardneck types?
A few things set them apart. Asiatics mature earlier than almost any other hardneck group — often several weeks ahead of Porcelains and Purple Stripes. They’re weakly bolting, so they may not produce a scape in every climate. The cloves tend to be large, firm, and wedge-shaped with a hotter flavor profile than most other subgroups. They also produce unusually large bulbils, which is distinctive to the group.
Is Korean Mountain a rare variety?
Yes. It’s not as widely available as something like Music or Inchelium Red, which you can find at most seed garlic farms. Asiatic varieties in general are more of a specialty item. If you want Korean Mountain, I’d recommend ordering early once our pre-orders open March 1st — it’s not the kind of variety you’ll find sitting on shelves at a garden center.
Storage, Harvest & Customer Support
How does Korean Mountain's storage life compare to other varieties?
Korean Mountain stores up to about 6 months when properly cured and kept in cool, dry conditions with good airflow. That’s shorter than our Artichoke softnecks like Inchelium Red or Sicilian Artichoke which can go 8 to 12 months, but it’s typical for the Asiatic group. Plan to use or sell your Korean Mountain before your longer-storing varieties — it should be your first-to-eat garlic.
What's the biggest mistake people make harvesting Asiatic garlic?
Waiting too long. Asiatic varieties like Korean Mountain mature suddenly — they can go from perfect to splitting in what feels like overnight. Once the lower leaves start browning and you’re down to 5 or 6 green leaves, do a test dig immediately. With Porcelains you can afford to wait a few days. With Korean Mountain you really can’t. Better to pull it a day early than find split wrappers in the ground.
What's the proper way to store Korean Mountain after curing?
Keep it in a cool, dry spot with good airflow — around 55 to 65 degrees is ideal. Paper bags, mesh containers, or a garlic keeper all work well. Never store in plastic bags, and skip the refrigerator unless the cloves are already peeled. If you’ve cured properly and your storage conditions are right, you should get a solid 5 to 6 months out of it.
Do you guarantee the quality of your Korean Mountain seed garlic?
We do. We inspect every bulb before it ships, and everything is CCOF certified organic. If anything isn’t right when your order arrives — damaged in shipping, soft spots, anything that concerns you — call us at (530) 238-5357 or email contact@basalticfarms.com and we’ll make it right with a replacement or refund.
How early should I order Korean Mountain to make sure I get it?
Pre-orders open March 1st each year and our popular varieties can sell out by summer. Korean Mountain is less commonly grown than varieties like Music or Inchelium Red, so our supply is more limited. If it’s on your list, get your order in early. Once it’s sold out, you’re waiting until next harvest season.
Why Choose Our Korean Mountain Garlic
At Basaltic Farms, our approach to growing Korean Mountain reflects our commitment to offering diverse, hard-to-find garlic varieties that deliver real flavor and reliable performance. When you choose our organic garlic farm, you’re getting one of the most productive Asiatic varieties available — and one that most seed garlic farms don’t carry.
- Big Cloves, Bold Flavor – Korean Mountain produces 4 to 6 large, firm cloves per bulb with a robust garlic flavor that leads with heat and mellows into a warm spiciness. These aren’t small fiddly cloves — they’re substantial, easy to handle, and pack a punch in the kitchen or in the ground.
- Early Season Harvest – Asiatic varieties mature weeks ahead of Porcelains and Purple Stripes, giving you fresh garlic while other varieties are still growing. For market growers, that early availability is a real competitive edge when customers are looking for fresh garlic and nobody else has it yet.
- Productive and Reliable – Korean Mountain sizes up well and delivers consistent results year after year. It’s a workhorse variety that earns its spot in the field. The bulbs may be a little rough around the edges compared to a perfectly smooth Porcelain, but the clove size and yield more than make up for it.
- Adaptable Across Climates – As an Asiatic, Korean Mountain doesn’t strictly require vernalization, making it a viable hardneck option for growers in warmer zones where Porcelains and Rocamboles won’t cooperate. It also performs well in cold northern climates — we grow it at 3,100 feet with real winters and it handles our conditions without issue.
- Triple-Certified Quality – Every Korean Mountain bulb is CCOF and USDA certified organic, plus Real Organic Project verified, ensuring zero synthetic inputs and complete growing transparency.
Korean Mountain stores up to approximately 6 months when properly cured and kept in cool, dry conditions with good airflow. Not strictly requiring vernalization, Korean Mountain will produce bulbs in warmer climates without extended cold exposure. However, 40+ days below 40°F will improve bulb development and overall size where cold winters are available.
Health Benefits of Garlic
Health Benefits of Garlic
Garlic has been valued as both a food and a traditional remedy for thousands of years across nearly every culture that had access to it. Modern research has started to catch up with what people have known for a long time — garlic is one of the more nutrient-dense foods you can add to your diet. The compounds responsible for garlic's strong aroma and flavor are the same ones researchers have been studying for potential health benefits.
- Natural Allicin Content – When garlic is crushed or chopped, it produces allicin, the sulfur compound responsible for that unmistakable garlic smell. Allicin is also what most of the research around garlic's health properties has focused on.
- Heart-Healthy Choice – Garlic has a long history of use in supporting cardiovascular wellness. Multiple studies have looked at garlic's potential role in supporting healthy cholesterol levels and blood pressure as part of a balanced diet.
- Antioxidant Properties – Garlic contains compounds that may help protect cells from oxidative stress, including organosulfur compounds and flavonoids.
- Traditional Wellness Food – Garlic has been used in folk medicine traditions worldwide for centuries, from ancient Egyptian laborers to traditional Chinese medicine to European herbalism.
- Nutrient Dense – Garlic provides manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, selenium, and fiber relative to its size. It packs a surprising amount of nutrition into a small package.
Anecdotal and Traditional
Worth Mentioning Although Not Confirmed by Science.
Throughout history, garlic has picked up a pretty wild reputation that goes well beyond what clinical studies have confirmed. These claims are anecdotal or rooted in folk tradition and should be taken for what they are — interesting stories, not medical advice:
- Ancient Egyptian builders were reportedly given daily garlic rations to maintain strength and endurance during construction of the pyramids. When the garlic supply was cut, workers allegedly staged one of the earliest recorded labor strikes.
- Roman soldiers and gladiators consumed garlic before battle, believing it gave them courage and physical stamina. They called it "the stinking rose" and considered it essential military provisions.
- During both World Wars, garlic was used as a field antiseptic when conventional medical supplies ran short. Soldiers applied crushed garlic to wounds to help prevent infection — a practice sometimes called "Russian penicillin."
- In traditional Chinese medicine, garlic has been prescribed for respiratory ailments, digestive issues, and as a general tonic for over 2,000 years.
- Louis Pasteur documented garlic's antibacterial properties in 1858, and some early physicians recommended garlic preparations for tuberculosis patients, though modern medicine has moved well past those applications.
- Many gardeners and farmers (myself included) have observed that garlic planted near other crops seems to help repel certain pests like aphids, spider mites, and Japanese beetles. That's not a health claim for humans, but it's worth noting that even other plants seem to benefit from having garlic around.
Note: The FDA has not evaluated these statements. Garlic is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The anecdotal claims above are historical and traditional in nature and should not be interpreted as medical advice.
Nutrition Facts (Per 3 Cloves: Approximately 9g)
All values are per 3 cloves of raw garlic (approximately 9g), based on USDA FoodData Central data.
Basic Nutrition
- Calories: 13
- Total fat: 0.05g
- Saturated fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 1.5mg
- Total carbohydrate: 3g
- Dietary fiber: 0.2g
- Total sugars: 0.09g
- Protein: 0.6g
- Water content: approximately 59% of total weight
Vitamins
- Vitamin C: 2.8mg (3% daily value)
- Vitamin B6: 0.11mg (6% daily value)
- Thiamin (B1): 0.02mg (2% daily value)
- Riboflavin (B2): 0.01mg (1% daily value)
- Niacin (B3): 0.06mg (0% daily value)
- Pantothenic Acid (B5): 0.05mg (1% daily value)
- Folate (B9): 0.27mcg (0% daily value)
- Vitamin K: 0.15mcg (0% daily value)
Minerals
- Calcium: 16.2mg (1% daily value)
- Potassium: 36mg (1% daily value)
- Phosphorus: 13.8mg (1% daily value)
- Selenium: 1.3mcg (2% daily value)
- Iron: 0.15mg (1% daily value)
- Zinc: 0.1mg (1% daily value)
- Copper: 0.03mg (3% daily value)
- Magnesium: 2.3mg (1% daily value)
- Manganese: 0.15mg (7% daily value)
Special Compounds (Organosulfur)
These are the compounds that make garlic unique among foods. They are not captured in standard nutrition labels but are the primary focus of garlic health research.
- Alliin — The main sulfur compound in intact garlic cloves. Odorless on its own. Garlic contains approximately 8g of alliin per kilogram of fresh weight. Dried garlic powder contains about 1% alliin by weight.
- Allicin — Formed when garlic is crushed, chopped, or chewed. The enzyme alliinase converts alliin into allicin, which is responsible for garlic's distinctive smell and is the compound most studied for potential health benefits. Crushed raw garlic contains approximately 37mg of allicin per gram. About 4 to 5mg of allicin are found in a single fresh clove. Allicin accounts for roughly 70 to 80% of garlic's total bioactive sulfur compounds.
- Diallyl disulfide (DADS) — One of the primary breakdown products of allicin. Oil-soluble. The most abundant compound in steam-distilled garlic oil.
- Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) — Another allicin derivative, often found alongside DADS in garlic preparations.
- Diallyl sulfide (DAS) — The simplest allyl sulfide compound in garlic.
- Ajoene — Formed when allicin breaks down in the presence of oil or organic solvents. Named after the Spanish word for garlic ("ajo").
- S-allyl cysteine (SAC) — A water-soluble organosulfur compound found primarily in aged garlic. Demonstrated nearly 100% bioavailability after oral administration in pharmacokinetic studies.
- Vinyldithiins — Cyclic sulfur compounds formed from allicin breakdown. Found primarily in oil-based garlic preparations.
Important note on allicin formation: Allicin is not present in intact garlic cloves. It only forms when the cell structure is damaged — through crushing, chopping, or chewing — which releases the enzyme alliinase to act on alliin. Research indicates that crushing garlic and waiting 10 minutes before cooking maximizes allicin formation. Heating intact, uncrushed garlic inactivates the alliinase enzyme and prevents allicin from forming.
Sources: USDA FoodData Central (Entry #169230), Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, PMC/National Library of Medicine
