Garlic is a product that has long been used not only as a flavoring additive in dishes, but also as a medicine. The first to discover the unusual properties of this plant were primitive farmers. They noticed that sprouted garlic bulbs save neighboring plants from fungal diseases and pests. Since then, garlic has been credited with magical properties, deified and used as a cure for all diseases.
History of garlic
It is known that only five thousand years ago, people began to grow garlic on an industrial scale, cultivated it. But drew attention to him even earlier. The plant was noticed back in the Stone Age. The homeland of garlic is Southeast Asia. For the first time, the plant was discovered between the Altai mountains and the high ridges of the Eastern Tien Shan.
Not only primitive people worshiped garlic. The plant was especially appreciated during the reign of the Egyptian pharaohs. Garlic is a food that has been consumed daily. It is known that even decrees were issued ordering slaves to be given several cloves of garlic every day in order to raise morale and make the pyramid builders physically stronger. There have been times when a lack of aromatic product even led to uprisings and riots.
The oldest medicine
A history that does not stand still has long proved that garlic was used as food and medicine by all civilizations known to the world. Numerous myths and legends that have survived to our times indicate that for an ancient person, garlic is a divine gift, a panacea for all diseases, a real treasure.
However, history still cannot draw a clear line when garlic from an unofficial drug has become the official “pill” for many diseases. It is known that once the peasants of Ancient China healed with the help of garlic the emperor and his retinue. Since then, in this country, garlic has been used by already recognized healers and healers.
Smell is not an obstacle to treatment
Unlike modern people, ancient civilizations were not at all afraid of the fragrant and bright smell of garlic. They loved the plant in Mesopotamia. Many ancient manuscripts have come down from Ancient India, listing the numerous diseases that cured garlic. Even Homer in his Odyssey repeatedly mentioned the plant that helped Odysseus escape from Circe.
Olympic athletes actively consumed garlic, believing that this particular remedy helps to win and gives strength. Hippocrates claimed that it was the caustic and for many unpleasant garlic flavor that was of particular value to medicine. The essential oils contained in the plant are good for health, give strength, strengthen the immune system and tone up.
Structure
By its chemical composition, garlic is as rich in proteins and sugars as onions. The plant also contains calcium and potassium, magnesium and manganese, selenium and phosphorus. There are vitamins in it: C, A, PP, B6 and others.
The sharp aroma and bright taste of garlic are given by the volatile and essential oils contained in its composition. If you analyze the chemical composition of garlic in even more detail, then you can find out that it contains more than 6 g of protein, about 30 g of carbohydrates and 0.5 g of fat. Calories per hundred grams - 147.
Wild garlic
People very often pass by beautifully growing wild plants, completely unaware that they have before them a wholesome and tasty food product. The same thing happened with wild garlic. The perennial herb, which scientists attribute to the onion family, has long attracted people's attention. But only a few centuries ago, wild garlic, or wild garlic, ceased to be animal feed and began to appear in the kitchens.
The plant reaches a height of 15 cm. It has wide leaves that go from the very base. In early May, wild garlic begins to bloom very beautifully. Flower petals have a bright white or light beige color. The main habitat of wild garlic is considered the North Caucasus, Turkey and European territory. But you can harvest or plant and grow wild leek in Russia. The plant is unpretentious, well tolerates various climatic changes.
What is wild garlic good for?
We can say that wild garlic is a plant that is much longer and more successfully used in folk medicine than ordinary garlic. It contains a huge amount of useful trace elements and a rich vitamin composition. Calories per 100 g are about 140.
Wild garlic is especially commonly used for digestive problems. It helps to fight colds, fever and pneumonia. Frequent use of wild garlic provides reliable protection against stress. It is not recommended to eat wild garlic for food to people who suffer from migraines. From an overdose of the product, severe headaches often occur.
How to store garlic
People who grow plants in their own household plots often wonder what methods exist for the proper storage of garlic. If you know some secrets and basic rules of storage, you can provide yourself with a useful product for the whole winter.
It is important to distinguish winter garlic from summer garlic. In the first case, the plant is planted in the last months of autumn, before the first snowfall. Garlic planted in the spring months was called summer. And in both cases it is very important not to miss the moment of cleaning. Choosing the right day for the harvest of garlic (not rainy, moderately sunny), you can already be 50% sure of the subsequent good preservation of the product. Dry garlic will never rot, sprout and crack.
The remaining 50% depends on good drying. Good weather, no open baking sun, cool and well-ventilated room. Five days later, it is recommended to remove the roots and stem, leaving only five to seven centimeters. Next, the process of storing garlic proceeds to the final stage. Sticks are collected in bouquets of 5-8 pieces, connected by a thread and hung somewhere in a cool room. Garlic can also be stored in ordinary wicker baskets. Such containers will provide good ventilation and will contribute to the long-term storage of garlic.
Health Benefits of Garlic
In the world there are more than three hundred types of garlic that a person can and eats. Each country has its own variety of plants, but they are all equally useful for human health. What helps garlic and what ailments can be distinguished with its help?
The most famous action of garlic is immunostimulating. A vegetable is good for maintaining the immune system. Garlic is an excellent preventative for many colds. In addition, good immunity is also a salvation from such a terrible ailment as malignant neoplasms.
Garlic successfully fights against parasites (worms, tapeworms), helps prevent the harmful effects of salmonella and staphylococci. If, for example, a person wants to try an unknown “suspicious” dish, then experts advise to eat a clove of garlic before tasting.
The beneficial effect that this vegetable has on the hematopoietic system is proved. American scientists have proved that just a couple of cloves of garlic per day will help ensure proper blood flow, prevent blood clots, and therefore avoid early strokes or heart attacks. It may well replace pills that help lower blood pressure. In addition, garlic is an antiseptic. Even in Ancient Egypt, it was used to treat ulcers and abscesses.
Garlic and extra pounds
Nutritionists around the world unanimously confirm the benefits of garlic for weight loss. The plant is able to reduce the feeling of hunger, reduce rapid appetite and normalize the action of hormones that are responsible for the deposition of fat. By regularly eating garlic, you can reduce the amount of fluid in the body and normalize the lymph flow. The substances contained in the plant help fight cholesterol, make fat metabolism in the tissues correct.
Nutritionists say you don’t need to invent complex garlic diets. The easiest way to feel the effects of garlic on your weight is to eat a couple of cloves a day with any product or dish.
Cooking Application
The most notorious lovers of adding garlic to dishes are residents of Asia and the Mediterranean. For example, for one Chinese, according to statistics, 8-14 cloves per day. Italians consume up to five cloves per day. Most often, garlic can be found in the recipe of Uzbek, Korean, Italian, Armenian and Greek dishes. He makes magnificent duets with meat, tomatoes, herbs, bakery products.
The use of garlic in cooking is also the preparation of a variety of sauces. Especially popular was the aioli sauce, which consists mostly of garlic. Also great is the combination of garlic + olive oil. Grated garlic mixed with olive oil can simply be spread on bread and served. This is a great snack for the first or second hot dishes. In addition, a similar filling can be used to make pies or pies.
Garlic and Cheese Tomatoes
Another winning culinary combination is garlic and cheese. The two ingredients harmonize so well with each other that they do not need other “partners”. Just rubbing the cheese on a grater, chopping the garlic and adding a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, you can get an excellent paste.
One of the most delicious and easy to prepare snacks are tomatoes stuffed with garlic cream cheese.
For cooking, you will need
- 3-4 large tomatoes.
- Hard cheese - 150 g.
- 2-3 cloves of garlic.
- Mayonnaise.
- Salt.
- Greens.
Cooking method
In a separate container, mix: grated cheese, chopped garlic, finely chopped fresh herbs, a pinch of salt and mayonnaise. From the tomatoes, carefully remove the core with seeds. In the resulting cavity, put a spoonful of aromatic cheese mass. Top each tomato with a sprig of parsley.
Garlic and pineapple
It would seem, how can sweet pineapples and vigorous, harsh-tasting garlic taste together? It turns out they can! With just three ingredients, you can make a great salad that will delight even the most biased gourmets.
Essential Products
- Cheese - 150 g.
- Canned Pineapples - 1 b.
- Head of garlic (6-8 tooth.).
- Mayonnaise.
How to cook
We open a jar of pineapples, drain the excess liquid and put the circles on a paper towel. It is necessary that the excess juice stack. Then cut them into small cubes. Cheese is ground using a coarse grater. Garlic is crushed with a knife, peeled. It is recommended to grind each slice into gruel (you can use a garlic squeezer or grater). Mix all the ingredients, season with a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise. Spicy and very tasty!
Stuffed with garlic
A surprisingly tasty combination of garlic with cheese is the highlight of many dishes. Often such a tandem is used as a filling for stuffing products. Following the example of a recipe with tomatoes, you can cook a lot of incredibly tasty, mouth-watering and fragrant snacks. By the way, these are quick and very easy to prepare treats, which is important for busy modern housewives.
Mixing chopped garlic with cheese, adding a little greens, spices and mayonnaise, we get a universal dressing. It can be stuffed with boiled chicken eggs, eggplant, zucchini, chicken and even potatoes. Perhaps most of the dishes based on stuffed vegetables in their composition contain garlic.