What is Garlic? Nicknamed the Stinking Rose, garlic has been around for thousands of years. Garlic is actually a member of the lily family and is closely related to shallots, leeks, chives and onions.

Today, Americans consume more than 250 million pounds of garlic annually. Its wide use in the US originated among European immigrant groups. A key ingredient in recipes today, garlic is essential in any well stocked pantry.

A garlic bulb actually contains 10 to 20 smaller cloves of garlic, each of which is encased in a parchment-like membrane. The bulb, or head, is covered with a papery outer skin that varies in color from white to purple depending on the variety. The bulb grows underground, hence it is known as a root crop.

Many varieties of garlic are available. The most common (and most strongly flavored) is the white-skinned garlic, grown primarily in the US. The garlic with a purplish skin and a milder flavor is grown in Mexico and Italy. Elephant garlic, carried in many grocery stores, is actually a leek and has a very weak garlic flavor. Garlic is available in many forms:

• in the produce section of your grocery store/farmer's market or grow your own
• Powdered - dried and pulverized garlic
• Flakes - minced garlic that has been dried; add to your food before cooking or rehydrate the flakes before use. Once rehydrated, the flakes produce much of the garlic flavor with a similar texture.
• Garlic Juice - the liquid from pressed garlic, usually available in a spray bottle
• Granulated - dried and ground to a granular size

Selection and Storage: Fresh garlic is available year-round, but is freshest between March and August. Select big, firm bulbs with plenty of dry, paper-like skin showing no signs of sprouting. Avoid soft or shriveled bulbs, and any that are refrigerated. Garlic that is very old will crumble under a slight pressure from the fingers. Unpeeled garlic bulbs will keep for up to 3 months; the individual cloves will keep from 3 to 7 days. Store in an open container in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight and other foods. If the cloves sprout, the garlic is still usable; but, since these sprouts can be bitter it's best to detach them before using the garlic for your recipe.

Do NOT refrigerate or freeze garlic bulbs or cloves because the garlic is likely to go soft and develop mold. Never store raw garlic in oil - this can lead to botulism and possible death.

How to Prepare Garlic: Lay a garlic clove on its side on a cutting board. Apply a short, gentle pressure to the clove with the flat side of a butcher knife - the skin should then easily peel off. Don't apply too much pressure because the clove can easily be smashed! You can vary the amount of garlic flavor released by how you prepare the garlic. The more juices that are extracted, the stronger it will taste. Crushed garlic has the strongest taste of all.

• Crushed - The strong flavor and natural juices of garlic are released - use in sauces that call for a strong garlic flavor.
• Minced - Finely minced garlic release more of the juices than chopped or sliced garlic, but less than crushed. Ideal for flavoring oil that is to be used for sautéing.
• Chopped - This does not extract a large amount of juice - the amount of flavor obtained depends on how small the garlic is chopped (the smaller the pieces, the stronger the taste). This method works well for salsas and stir-frys.
• Sliced - Slices or larger pieces of garlic won't completely dissolve when cooked; thus, a milder garlic flavor.

To rid your hands of the garlic smell after preparation, wash your hands and then simply rub them on a stainless steel faucet or utensil.

Garlic Equivalents

1 bulb = 10 to 20 cloves

1 clove = 1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chopped = any of the following

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, or 

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, or  

1/2 teaspoon garlic flakes, or 

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic, or

1/2 teaspoon garlic juice

Garlic Breath: There is one drawback to enjoying your garlic - the bad breath. Chewing a sprig (or more) of fresh parsley is reputed to assist this condition to some extent. There are also claims that chewing cardamon seeds can work as a garlic breath remedy. Since cardamon has a very strong flavor it might not be an option for some people.

A Medicinal Food: Garlic health benefits and medicinal properties have been known for a long time. It has been used for at least 3,000 years in Chinese medicine. The Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans used garlic for healing purposes. Some use raw garlic to treat the symptoms of acne.

Garlic contains vitamins A and C, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur and sulphur compounds, selenium and amino acids. It is the allicin, one of the compounds, that is reportedly responsible for most of the health benefits. The allicin is produced only when the garlic is finely chopped or crushed. The allicin gives garlic its pungent aroma and flavor. Since allicin begins to degrade immediately after it is produced, its medical effectiveness decreases over time.

Cooking speeds up the degradation; microwaving seems to destroy the allicin completely. There are a few people who are allergic to garlic. Symptoms include skin rash, temperature and headaches. Did you know:

• Hippocrates recommended garlic for infections, wounds, cancer, leprosy, and digestive disorders.
• Pliny included the plant in 61 remedies for a variety of ailments including the common cold, leprosy, epilepsy and tapeworm.
• In 1858, Pasteur noted garlic's antibacterial activity.
• Considered a herbal "wonder drug", garlic is used by herbalists today for a variety of illnesses including high cholesterol, colds, the flu, coughs, ringworm, and digestive problems.
• Raw garlic is used by some to treat the symptoms of acne. Some studies have even shown the value of garlic in preventing heart disease and cancer.

Garlic Folklore & Fact

• Egyptian slaves were given a daily ration of garlic, based on the beliefs that it warded off illness and increased strength and endurance.
• Ancient Egyptian records show that the pyramid builders were given a daily food ration of beer, flatbread, raw garlic and onions. When the workers threatened to abandon the unfinished pyramids, they were given more garlic. Supplying the Cheops pyramid builders with garlic cost the Pharaoh today's equivalent of 2 million dollars.
• Garlic was found in King Tut's tomb.
• In the ancient middle East, a healthy male slave could be bought for fifteen pounds of garlic.
• In Palestinian tradition, the bridegroom would wear a clove of garlic in his buttonhole to be assured of a successful wedding night.
• In ancient Greece, travelers would protect themselves from evil spirits by placing garlic at a crossroads to confuse the demons and cause them to lose their way.
• In Greece, when preparing the birthing room, midwives would crush a clove of garlic to keep the evil spirits away. After delivery, the midwife would place a clove of garlic (on a necklace) around the baby's neck.
• European peasants of the 1700's would hang braids of garlic to the entrance of their homes to keep the evil spirits out.
• Ancient Koreans ate pickled garlic before passing through a mountain path believing that it would protect them because the tigers disliked the garlic.
• For centuries, garlic was used by central Europeans to ward off the dark forces of devils, werewolves and vampires.
• Garlic was helpful as a mosquito when diseases caused by mosquito bites were considered "the touch of the vampire". Recent research has shown that garlic is effective in keeping mosquitoes held back.
• Aristotle, Moses, Pliny, Hippocrates, Homer, Nero and Eleanor Roosevelt were all reportedly garlic lovers.
• Shakespeare, Louis XV, the ancient Roman poet Horace and King Alfonso XI of Castile were all reportedly garlic haters.