Gilroy, a small city about 35 miles south of San Jose, is known as “the garlic capital of the world.” But for all the ways garlic is ubiquitous in Gilroy, little of the bulbous crop is actually grown here—at least not anymore. That impenetrablearoma1 , which locals say is strongest on hot afternoons, is the result not of garlic fields, but of the behemoth garlic peeling, grating, and roasting facility owned and operated by Christopher Ranch. It is today the only commercial garlic producer in the city and one of just three nationwide.
Much of the land where garlic used to grow has been paved over for strip malls, outlet stores, and tract homes. As the garlic capital of the world undergoes a major transition, from a former farming town to a Silicon Valley commuter city, it risks losing the product that made it so famous.
