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Synonyms : Clown’s trade
Forms of use : Bulb, fresh, whole, or in the form of a paste, dried and ground.
Origin : Native to western Asia. It is grown in temperate and subtropical climate.
Aroma : slightly savory, slightly sweetish taste. It smells like sulfur and therefore it is peculiarly penetrating.
Use : Garlic plays a big role in Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. Very dominant in tapas, antipastos or mezzos. It goes well with meat and fish, soufflés, and soup. Its aroma contributes to some salad dressings and dips.
Hidden use : whether mixed into Italian pesto, Asian curry, pasta or Indian spice dishes, many cooks consider garlic an essential ingredient.
Buying/storing : available all year aroung. In spring, young garlic can be eaten whole as a vegetable. If it is stored in a dark, dry place, it will last for several months. Garlic paste, both in a jar and in a tube, should be store in a refrigerator once opened. Garlic powder as well as salt should be firmly closed and stored in a dark place.
Properties: Garlic is plant about 28 inches high. It consists of one egg-shaped central bulb and about 12 side bulbs usually called ‘cloves’. A tubular herbaceous stem and thin long leaves grow from the central bulb. Reddish-white blossoms bloom at the turn of July and August and form a globular fault umbel. Garlic contains many sulfur compounds. Allicine (diallyl disulfide oxide), generated from alliine when a clove is cut, is valued for its taste.
Related Species: Botanically, garlic is related to other members of the Alliaceae family, such as chives, wild garlic and onion.
Mythology: The Romans regarded garlic as an aphrodisiac. Eating its cloves was supposed to increase potency in men. According to certain eastern European legends, eating garlic protects people from the bites of bloodthirsty vampires.
Medicinal Use: Already around 1500 BC, garlic was used in various medicinal formulas and the ancient Greeks in particular used it to cure many diseases. During the Middles Ages, doctors prescribed garlic for bone fracture and freckles. Garlic was valued for its healing effects until today. However, it does have an antiseptic effect and releases mucus. Garlic broth can be used externally for sore throats or inflamed swellings as well as drink to soothe coryza and bronchitis. If used regularly, the sulfur compounds of garlic should help poor blood circulation.

Tips for cooking :
You can recognize fresh garlic by its hard white cloves covered with a dry peel. When buying garlic, push carefully on the bulb. Maybe you wonder why some bulbs are rose and others are white. The difference in taste is insignificant. Gourmet cooks usually prefer rose colored garlic. Garlic paste tastes very similar to bulbs. Use salt or powder only if you want to season something quickly.
Before you start peeling and cutting garlic, moisten your hands and the cutting board – they will release their smell faster.
Garlic develops its full aroma only when pressed through garlic press or sliced with a knife. When garlic is roasted in oil or cooked, it loses its piquancy.