Ail fumé d'Arleux

Smoked garlic braids produced in a defined zone spanning parts of the Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments of France. The garlic, of the 'Ail du Nord' type, is braided by hand and then smoked for at least 7 days using local peat, lignite, short straw, and/or sawdust, yielding a uniform colour ranging from light reddish brown to dark brown and a smoky aroma.

About this designation

Ail fumé d'Arleux is registered as a PGI under file number PGI-FR-0820, with EU protection dating from 2 August 2010, and is recorded in eAmbrosia under identifier EUGI00000013971. The applicant group is the 'Groupement des Producteurs d'Ail fumé d'Arleux', based at the Mairie d'Arleux, 59151 Arleux, France. The product is made from pink spring garlic (Allium sativum) of the 'Ail du Nord' type, characterised by a long dormant period, medium-size bulbs, and the absence of a floral stalk. Permitted varieties are Ail du Nord, Gayant, and Arno; new varieties may be introduced provided they meet the stated criteria. When harvested, the bulb is white with dark pink external tunic on the cloves. All steps of cultivation, braiding, and smoking must take place within the defined geographical area, which comprises 35 municipalities in the department of Nord and 27 municipalities in the department of Pas-de-Calais. Braiding is carried out by hand after the garlic heads are dried with their foliage. After braiding, the garlic is smoked for at least 7 days in a smokeroom using local peat and/or lignite and/or short straw and/or sawdust. The resulting colour ranges from light reddish brown to dark brown, validated against a defined reference colour. Braids typically contain between 10 and 90 heads, or alternatively 3 heads. Every label must include a batch number. Packaging in nets, if carried out, must also take place within the defined geographical area.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 2 August 2010 under file number PGI-FR-0820, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013971.
• After braiding, the garlic must be smoked for at least 7 days; the specification permits no shorter smoking period.
• All cultivation, braiding, and smoking must take place within a defined area of 35 Nord municipalities and 27 Pas-de-Calais municipalities.
• The permitted varieties — Ail du Nord, Gayant, and Arno — must lack a floral stalk, which is what makes hand braiding possible.

Tasting notes

Nord-Pas-de-Calais smoked garlic IGP from Arleux area. Distinctive smoke-aged garlic with bronzed papery skin, intensely smoky-sweet flavor, soft tender cloves from smoking process.

HoReCa use

Northern French regional preparations; in flamiche and tarte salée; smoke-flavored marinades and rubs; pairs with Bières du Nord.

Packaging

• braid-traditional-500g
• braid-traditional-1kg
• mesh-bag-500g