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Much of the garlic in the US (as is also true in France) is imported. San Diego farmers’ markets are good, especially when you get to know the farmers. Where I now live in CT, the quality of farmers’ markets is very high (it has improved dramatically over the years) and we do have excellent local dairies that deliver their products to homes. I am in a phenomenally good organic CSA and enjoy not-run-of-the-mill products like fresh baby ginger, puntarelle, various fresh mushrooms, local honey, and (speaking of garlic) new garlic, garlic scapes, and cured garlic. Oh, and I also grow my own garlic, and dozens of varieties of tomato.
I generally stay near the Bastille market and there are certain stalls that I return to for the quality of their products. It is not a farmers’ market in that many stalls are resellers who sell products brought in from elsewhere (often imported), but it is still a good market that I enjoy..
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Can’t vouch for the rest of the country, but here in California we get plenty of garlic from Gilroy. Drive through there at the right time of year, and there will be no doubt, it saturates the air!
Gilroy is unmistakable! But nationwide most of the garlic sold in the US is from China.
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I went last November. It is very promising.
@Chris_S_p_i_k_e_s for a non-restaurant but food & wine centric activity in Paris I highly recommend one of the food tours from Paris by Mouth. The last time I was in Paris, we did one on a lark. I’ve been going to Paris since a high school trip in the 1980s and my parents lived there while I was in grad school so I spent a lot of time there and go back every 2 out of 3 years since. I also own a French restaurant named after my parents market street, Rue Cler. All that as preface that I am pretty jaded about Paris and French food. I had an absolute blast! The products that you sample are top notch, the guides are knowledgeable and I really got a huge kick out of watching other people on the tour experience these things for the first time. It might be an amazing experience with your daughter. I plan on taking mine when they are old enough.
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Nathan, that is a serious endorsement based on your history! Thank you!
Compared to average people (many/most on this thread excluded), we are pretty experienced and adventurous eaters around the world, so I would normally dismiss a food tour. I appreciate you adding your background to give authority to your recommendation. This is not a food centric trip, per se, but food will be an important side piece. We’ll be doing the quintessential sites visits since it is her first time, but trying to get away from the tourist bus crowds in between those.
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We did the Paris By Mouth Marais food tour 2 years ago. It was an excellent tour both for the food and the Paris history. Our daughter booked it or we would never have done it. The same daughter also arranged a ski boat ride on the Seine on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Great fun.
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Also highly recommend Paris by Mouth tours. Great time.
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You don’t approve of the Trader Joe’s bags of pre-peeled garlic cloves? 
Not a fan. Nor of Jarlic, which is a crime against cooking.
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I always did my food tours daily (unguided). As a pescatarian primarily, I skip omnivore tours.
Patricia Well’s food lovers guide to Paris, sadly out of date, would make it easy to choose an arrondisment and find the best bakery, patisserie, chocolatier, fromagerie in the 6th say, or 5th or 1st, etc.
Now I sort of have my favorites so don’t do the comparisons much anymore.
From Paris, bringing home chocolate, cheese and mustard (don’t forget the Maille mustard), is more rewarding for me than bringing back wine (unless there are some you just can’t get in the US).
(Talking about Paris wine shops, not cellar door, that was awesome pricing).
And confiture and beurre (I bring 5 pounds of Bordier home every trip)
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I thought of this exchange between you and @Robert_Dentice as I reviewed our itinerary for Spain. In our two weeks there, we have dinner planned only 3 nights. All the rest of our bookings are lunches. Given the timing of meals there, it’s even more of our preference than usual. Leisurely morning, lunch from 2-5 or 6, get back to the apartment or hotel with 4-5 hours of light left to sip vermouth and nibble on olives and anchovies. I’d much rather do that than start dinner at 9.
Is there a difference between Maille purchased in France vs US?
Yes
Pretty sure there’s a whole thread on it.
Try searching Maille
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Yes, most important the fresh from the pulp ( although I only tried the NY store pump once IIRC)
Many other flavors jarred but the fresh is where it’s at.
Thanks. I had read some articles on mustard shortages in France a while back, with reference made to Canada being the source of most of the mustard seeds. I’ll do some research. Thx.
Canadian Maille is not sold in France.
Spring has sprung in Paris. Spent an evening with all the Parisians soaking-in life itself. Not one desperate instagrammer/influencer in sight. First on the vin terrasse having burg & bubbles with affineur Laurent Dubois’s sublime creations.
Then on to a concert @ the Galerie des Glaces. Parisians just literally reveling in life itself - just simply living life itself - in a way that I’ve never seen anyone else in the world do as Parisians (& in this case also residents of the town of Versaiiles) do so extraordinarily.
Sublimity itself. Tickets were $40.
Intermission was snacks & coupes de champagne in the Salon de Hercules.
Even though the concert ended past midnight, a G-7/taxi home wasn’t necessary. Rode the RER/Metro back into Paris, along with everyone else. $2.50 each.
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