A Global History of Food

History of Garlic. Where did it come from?

Garlic is believed to be originally native to Central Asia as this is where it can currently be found growing wild.
Evidence from historical records suggests that garlic has been cultivated for at least 5000 years.
It is the most common ingredient in food today worldwide but few people realize that garlic is one of the oldest known horticultural crops.
In ancient China, garlic was prescribed for respiratory ailments, digestive issues, diarrhea, and parasites. It was also used in combination with other herbs to treat fatigue, impotency, headaches, and insomnia.
Surprisingly, garlic was frowned upon by foodie snobs in the United States until the first quarter of the twentieth century, being found almost exclusively in ethnic dishes in working-class neighbourhoods. But, by 1940, America had embraced garlic, finally recognizing its value as not only a minor seasoning, but as a major ingredient in recipes.

Garlic grows underground in the form of a bulb. (Its long green shoots produce flower stalks called scapes which can be eaten.
It is covered in an inedible papery skin, the bulb and is comprised of individual sections called cloves, and there can be anywhere from 10 to 20 cloves per head.
These cloves are themselves enclosed in a paperlike skin, which needs to be removed, and the pale yellowish flesh within is the part of the garlic that is used in cooking and can be cut in a variety of ways.
It is inexpensive and is used as a flavouring ingredient in recipes rather than as the main ingredient itself.

Cold and Flu

Garlic is still used to combat sickness and even the common cold.
It is known to help boost the function of the immune system. The garlic plant’s bulb is the most commonly used part of the plant.
- Taking 2-3 cloves of raw or cooked garlic a day or sipping some garlic tea (with a touch of honey or ginger to lift up the taste) is not only going to relieve a stuffed nose and cure a cold but also build your immunity.