Garlic in Antiquity
Garlic has a 5000 year history as an indispensable part of ancient and modern civilizations’ medicine, cooking, religious traditions, and folklore. From the Chinese to the Vikings, medieval barbers in Europe to Native Americans, World War I soldiers to Egyptian nobility, garlic was valued for its antimicrobial properties before microbes were discovered. Ancient legends of its arousing, fortifying, and life-giving effects are increasingly corroborated by modern scientific evidence that shows how garlic improves cardiovascular health. When Hebrew slaves escaped Egypt, they complained to Moses about how much they missed the garlic that their captors fed them. The history of garlic is a rich history.
The Science of Garlic
Garlic has been cultivated by humans for the last 5000 years. A member of the lily family, garlic is indigenous to Central Asia and is currently grown all over the world, with hundreds of cultivars organized into ten major groups across two subspecies. Garlic is incredibly nutritious, with high levels of selenium as well as micronutrients that exist separately in its cells, combining to form antimicrobial compounds when a clove is crushed, blended, or chewed. Intriguingly, the chemical composition that makes it the worlds most powerful antioxidant is also responsible for its world (in)famous odor in those who consume it.
Garlic’s Health Benefits
For millennia, some of the great civilizations of humanity have used, prized, and praised garlic for its disease-fighting and health-boosting properties. This proud member of the lily family has helped build the pyramids, kept Olympic athletes at the top of their game, and healed wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Today garlic is prized for its anti-microbial properties as well as its ability to fight fungi and viruses. A diet that includes regular garlic consumption is also linked to lowered blood pressure, improved cholesterol, and resisting the hardening of the arteries. It’s no wonder, then, why garlic is here to stay. Read More
Growing Garlic at Home
Whether you’ve got a green thumb, you’re a home chef, a hobbyist, or just looking for a project, growing garlic is a fun and rewarding experience. An easy-to-plant and low-maintenance crop, garlic has been cultivated by humans for over 5000 years. Its presence in the garden can help keep down pests, as well as add to the biodiversity of the soil in your garden or raised beds. Garlic can be easily grown in pots or cans. You’ll find that with the right approach, you’ll be cooking with freshly cut scapes and seasoning your grills and salads with home-picked cloves of sweet, fresh garlic.
(photo credit: anitab0000)
