Gilroy, 30 minutes south of San Jose, produces most of California's garlic harvest, and roasted-garlic preparations reach every level of South Bay cooking.

The Santa Clara Valley and Pajaro Valley corridor around Gilroy became the garlic capital of the United States in the 20th century, building on a Chinese immigrant farming tradition that began in the 1880s. The Gilroy Garlic Festival, launched in 1979 by writer Don Christopher and local growers, turned the crop into a regional identity: it now draws 100,000 visitors annually and has inspired garlic versions of dishes from ice cream to pizza. San Jose restaurants routinely source directly from Gilroy farms, and the festival's garlic bread and garlic fries have become templates that spread through every class of South Bay cooking.

2 editor picks for Gilroy garlic in San Jose, ranked by editorial score. All San Jose signature dishes · Gilroy garlic across every city.