Purple Russian are excellent for raw eating or in pesto as they have a clear, crisp texture and a mellow taste that reminds of shallots with a faint hint of horseradish and leaves you with a mildly warm aftertaste that is smooth and not bitter.
Purple Russian 's bulb wrappers are sleek and parchment-like and the outer ones are very, very white. As you peel away the outer wrappers the inner wrapper seem to get more parchment-like and the clove covers are solid buff.