Colorful garlic might catch you by surprise, especially if you’re used to standard white garlic. We explain why your garlic might be blue, green, or purple, plus whether it's safe to eat blue, green, or purple garlic.

I always wondered but I never got around to googling.

TL;DR answer: You can eat blue or green garlic—and it might even add a little extra flavor to your dish.

Why is my garlic purple?

Purple garlic is different from blue-green garlic (and its originating white garlic). In fact, it’s actually a different variety altogether, and that color variation is not just the result of a chemical reaction, Allrecipes reports. Purple garlic is “juicier” than its counterparts and boast a more mild flavor. It’s also (typically, at least) harder to get your hands on and available more so at specialty stores.