Scape

Vegetable

Scape

Garlic scapes are the curly flower stalks of hardneck garlic, harvested in late spring before the bulb fully matures. Flavour is garlic-bright but greener and milder than raw cloves—somewhere between garlic and garlic chives—with a crisp, snap-able texture when young. Cutting scapes redirects plant energy into the bulb, so they are both a crop and a gardener’s gift. Chop into pesto, stir-fries, omelettes, and compound butters; grill whole like green beans; or pickle in vinegar. Trim any woody tips. Use within a few days of harvest while the coil is still snappy—older scapes toughen. Not a separate ingredient from garlic: they are a seasonal part of the same plant.

Track this ingredient

Unit

Characteristics

Preparations

ChoppedFreshGrilledPestoPickledStir-Fried

Traits

CrispCrisp When YoungGarlickyGreenHardneck CropMild GarlicMilder Than CloveSeasonalSeasonal Shoot

Nutrition and pairings

Nutrition

Typical values per 100 g edible portion. Nutrient names open the reference page.

Nutrition Facts

Per 100 g edible portion

Calories 33.9

Amount per 100 g

  • Total Fat 0.29 g
  • Saturated Fat 0.05 g
  • Trans Fat 0 g
  • Monounsaturated Fat 0.05 g
  • Polyunsaturated Fat 0.15 g
  • Cholesterol 0 mg
  • Sodium 20.6 mg
  • Salt 0.05 g
  • Total Carbohydrate 6.69 g
  • Dietary Fibre 2.54 g
  • Total Sugars 2.88 g
  • Complex / starch 1.95 g
  • Protein 2.05 g
  • Water 85.2 g
Detailed nutrients

Scape of Garlic: composition reflects this culinary part relative to the whole ingredient.

Grading systems

Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.

China

Size cm

United States

USDA

History

Hardneck garlic growers harvested scapes as a spring green while waiting for bulbs to mature.

CN

East Asian cookery used garlic scapes (suan tai) as a stir-fry vegetable in their own right.

US

Farmers’ markets popularised garlic scapes in North America as a seasonal specialty green.

Scape pesto and pickled scapes became standard farm-share and restaurant spring specials.

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