Aqsa Noreen

Garlic has a story in many of our families. Maybe your grandma had a remedy for treating your ear infection or your mom made you eat it raw when you had a cold. Well, turn out there’s good reasoning behind those treatments.

Did you know that garlic is neither a herb nor spice but a member of the same family as onions and leeks? It’s a delicious flavor enhancer in everyday food and a great health booster. Believe it or not, garlic is one of the most versatile ingredients out there. Just at the top of my head, I can name at least 5 ways to enjoy its delicious taste: raw, minced, roasted, infused in oil and garlic powder. And that’s just garlic on its own, not mixed and matched with more ingredients to create a perfectly balanced and tasty dish.

A garlic clove

Usually, we don’t stop and think about the structure of garlic daily. It has wonderful anatomy that different parts combine to form this ingredient.

Where is garlic from? 

 It was Native to central Asia, Garlic comes from the genus  Amaryllidaceae family, the same as that of the onion, leek, chives, and shallots. Science bestowed it with the name of Allium sativum. But the history of the garlic bulb dates as far back as 4000 BCE. In the beginning, garlic was mostly used for medicinal purposes like helping with breathing and digestion. Only common people would actually eat the garlic bulb. But now it can be cultivated from all over the world. 

What constitutes a head of garlic? 

Speaking of the garlic bulb, the complexity of its taste is matched by the simplicity of its form. Garlic bulbs grow underground and each head of garlic is protected by a layer of dry wrappers. Each head of garlic contains anything between 1 to 20 cloves of garlic. These cloves are protected by its layer of dry sheath known as garlic skin. Garlic cloves are the main earable part of every head of garlic. 

Best way to peel a garlic clove? 

Whether you’re getting ready to eat your garlic clove raw, minced or cooked, you first need to uncover the outer layer of garlic skin. Every year a new is exposed to peel garlic more easily. Some work and are followed by next-generation unlike separating the cloves, put a clove on a cutting board and a wide knife flat on top of it. Slap the knife with your hands and release the clove from the skin. Other methods go viral like the #garlichack. 

Where should you use it?

Telling about Garlic, it is one of the main components of the Mediterranean diet, which has been praised for centuries as one of the healthiest around. When you crush garlic to make its paste or add it to your salad dressing, over 300 powerful chemical substances are involved in your immune system. You can enjoy its flavor by adding it to your different dishes. It can be sprinkled into soya sauce and curry. You can also use it by making your favorite pizza or sandwich. 

What are its health benefits?

Eating garlic daily can protect you from leading many health problems. Let’s discuss the qualities it can be considered as a spice that gives you a long and healthy life, extract heavy metals from the body, improve cardiovascular and stomach issues like cholesterol and blood pressure. The immune system can also get a boost.

For all those beauty and skincare divas, you can use its material as it helps you to remove out the pimples, bug bites and skin irritations. It can also help to prevent you from food poisoning.

Can we overdo it?

Please avoid to take it over. As it leads to bad breath into your mouth. It also upset your stomach and may cause heartburn, gas, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The risk of bleeding can also increase due to raw garlic.