It's elephant garlic!

It's the stuff of a garlic lover's dreams - and a vampire's nightmares.

Bulbs of garlic the size of a grapefruit are about to go on sale at supermarkets.

The supersize version is said to have contributed to a tripling of garlic consumption in the U.S. over the past ten years.

Now Sainsbury's hopes it will do the same for British sales.

Known as elephant garlic, the plant is actually more closely related to the leek than the small fiery variety.

Consequently, producers claim it is so mild that it can be eaten raw without tainting the breath - a sort of garlic lite.

Grown mainly in the U.S. and Argentina, the product will go on sale at 99p in Sainsbury's stores this month. Each elephant garlic bulb can be as much as 31/2in across and weigh up to a pound. One clove is as heavy as a whole bulb of standard garlic.

U.S. enthusiasts say the supersize version can be served in salads and eaten as a vegetable in its own right. One popular recipe involves slicing it into quarterinch-thick 'steaks' and frying them in butter or olive oil.

But British garlic aficionados point out that the removal of the fiery flavour comes with a downside, for the super- size garlic does not offer the same health benefits as its smaller cousin. Peter Josling, of the Garlic Information Centre in East Sussex, said the elephant variety had lower amounts of the chemical allicin.

'The allicin content is really the key to the health-giving properties of the garlic; for example it benefits the heart and circulatory system,' he said. 'It is also an excellent microbe killer and can even be used in the treatment of MRSA.

'They love it in America because they feel they are eating lots of nice garlic without the perceived disadvantages of the pungent taste.

'To my mind, it tastes more like an onion than garlic because it is very fibrous and watery. I prefer the usual smaller varieties, which offer the bite and burn you would expect.'

Mr Josling said Americans are lucky that they can choose from around 20 varieties of garlic in their stores.

In this country stocks tend to be limited to a single Spanish variety, although cheap Chinese garlic is becoming increasingly available.

Colin Boswell, a garlic grower in the Isle of Wight, said consumers would be disappointed by the flavour of elephant garlic if they were expecting the normal pungency.

'We call it The Great Impostor, because while it looks like a garlic it doesn't have the bite,' he said. 'The French view it as a total nonentity in terms of flavour and it will never be accepted in the world of haute cuisine, but it is fun. It appeals to those who buy with the eyes rather than other senses.'

But he admitted: 'It roasts very well because it is substantial and doesn't fall apart. It works nicely with a piquant sauce.'

Sainsbury's garlic buyer Russell Crowe said: 'The introduction of different types of food and cooking over the last decade has meant our customers are using more garlic.

'We now stock a range of different varieties of garlic but think that elephant garlic will be the biggest news yet for garlic-lovers.'