Garlic is a plant categorized in the Allium family. It was well known and often used by many major civilizations including the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Chinese as a spice or a remedy.
Garlic contains Allicin that is responsible for many health benefits.
Health Benefits
- Preventing cold or flu.
- Reducing blood pressure.
- Improving cholesterol levels.
- Boosting the immune system.
GARLIC ID:
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Origin: Central Asia
Season: All year long
Color: White or Red
Flavor: Strong
Garlic can be used raw or cooked. To digest garlic, it is recommended to remove the germ located inside the garlic clove. Garlic contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, and oligo elements.
- VITAMINS– A-E-C-B1-B2-B3-B5-B6
- MINERALS– Phosphorus, Sulfur, Magnesium, Calcium, Sodium, Potassium.
- OLIGO ELEMENTS– Selenium, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Iodine, Copper.
Fresh garlic can be stored between three to nine months in a dry place at room temperature.
One to two cloves of garlic per day is the recommended dose. Eating garlic excessively can cause digestion issues. It can also affect the taste of the milk of pregnant woman for breast feeding.
If you are worried about bad breath because of eating garlic; before eating swallow 2 drops of lemon essential oil.
You can add garlic in all your meals to enhance the flavor. Fresh garlic is best to enjoy all its properties.
Quick Garlic recipes:
- Roast some fresh sliced garlic on a bed of olive oil and mix it with fresh cooked pasta.
- Add fresh garlic into your mayonnaise and use it as a dip for fresh radishes, cucumbers, or other raw vegetables.
- Rub some fresh garlic on a slice of bread, top it off with fresh tomatoes, salt, pepper, herbs few minutes in the oven and you will have a delicious bruschetta.
- Add chopped garlic into your dressing made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and mustard. Drizzle it into your salad.
Bon appetite!
Written by Elisabeth Chalaca Odou
