Garlic in the kitchen
Garlic is a part of many dishes of Mediterranean cuisine, where it excels when accompanied by olive oil, whether with a roast chicken in a garlic shirt, in the preparation of stews, in seasonings, with tomato coulis, fish or simply pasta with a drizzle of olive oil. Garlic butter accompanies snails as well as fish and seafood. Raw garlic is an ingredient in aioli or rust. It goes very well with salads, raw vegetables and tartars.
With ginger and onion, he is part of the trio popular in oriental and Asian cuisines, especially in curries.
Properties
Universal panacea, garlic is recognized for more than 5000 years for its therapeutic virtues. Garlic cleans the whole body and tones without side effects.
It fights effectively against fungi, microbes and viruses. It is antioxidant and anti cancer. It has beneficial effects on digestive disorders, it lowers blood pressure and promotes sleep.
Garlic also has a dilatory effect on the blood vessels, and thus prevents the appearance of certain cardiovascular diseases due to aging.
It also helps fight diabetes and lower bad cholesterol levels.
Formerly, in our campaigns, to cure whooping cough, we slipped a clove of garlic into the shoe of the patient. It is also used as an aphrodisiac.
History
Garlic is related to the mythology, religion and culture of many countries.
Thus, an Arab legend reports that the plant has grown from the footprint left by one of the devil's feet as it leaves the Garden of Eden.
There are also many references in the Bible about garlic. In Chinese mythology, garlic was thought to ward off the evil eye and it is also part of Ayurvedic medicine.
In Egypt, garlic was part of the diet of the workers who were building the pyramids and found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.
The Romans also used it a lot and helped to make it known throughout Europe.
In the Middle Ages, garlic played a great role as an aromatic and medicinal, and the belief that it spread the vampires lasted long.
Plant
Garlic is a perennial plant with a stem up to 50 centimeters tall. The leaves are thin and pointed. The bulb, called head, comprises from 12 to 20 pods. Cultivated garlic is harvested when the foliage of the plant fades and turns yellow. Once dry, the plants are tied in braids.
Of the thirty varieties of garlic that can be found, white garlic and pink garlic are the most common.
