At first glance, this super-sized garlic bulb might recall the whimsy of the Mad Hatter’s tea party. Or it might not even seem edible at all, resembling more of an object  –  an ornament to bedeck the desk of a food lover.

The Slow Food-protected Aglione (large garlic) delle Val di Chiana, an area of Tuscany sprawled between Siena and Arezzo, belongs to the region’s Traditional Agri-Food Products. Also known as "elephant garlic" or "big tex garlic," Aglione is significantly larger than standard garlic, comprising wedges as large as 2-8" and exceeding 1 kilogram (2 ¼ lb.) in weight.