Its close relatives include the onion, the shallot, and the leek.
Garlic has been used throughout recorded history for both culinary and medicinal purposes.
It has a characteristic pungent, spicy flavour that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking.
A bulb of garlic, the most commonly used part of the plant, is divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves.
The cloves are used as seed, for consumption (raw or cooked), and for medicinal purposes.
The leaves, stems (scape) and flowers (bulbils) on the head (spathe) are also edible and most often consumed while immature and still tender.
The papery, protective layers of 'skin' over various parts of the plant and the roots attached to the bulb are the only parts not considered palatable
Garlic is easy to grow and can be grown year-round in mild climates. In cold climates, cloves can be planted in the ground about six weeks before the soil freezes, and harvested in late spring. Garlic plants are not attacked by pests.
Garlic plants can be grown close together, leaving enough room for the bulbs to mature, and are easily grown in containers of sufficient depth
All you do is separate the cloves (individual sections) from the bulb, and plant them 2 inches (5 cm) deep and about 2 inches (5 cm) apart in early spring. Then in August you can harvest your own crop, which will be firm, juicy and tasting so much better than imported garlic bought from a shop.
Garlic is widely used around the world for its pungent flavour, as a seasoning or condiment.
The flavour varies in intensity and aroma with cooking methods.
It is often paired with onion, tomato, or ginger.
The parchment-like skin is much like the skin of an onion, and is typically removed before using in raw or cooked form.
An alternative is to cut the top off the bulb , coat cloves of garlic by dribbling olive oil (or other oil based seasoning) over them and roast them in the oven. The garlic softens and can be extracted from the cloves by squeezing the (root) end of the bulb or individually by squeezing one end of the clove.
Oils are often flavoured with garlic cloves.
Commercially prepared oils are widely available, but when preparing garlic-infused oil at home, there is a risk of botulism if the product is not stored properly. To reduce this risk, the oil should be refrigerated and used within one week.
Manufacturers add acids and/or other chemicals to eliminate the risk of botulism in their products.
In Chinese cuisine , the young bulbs are pickled for 3–6 weeks in a mixture of sugar, salt and spices.
In Russia and the Caucasus , the shoots are pickled and eaten as an appetizer.
In Turkish cuisine, it is widely used with: kebabs, mezes and various meals.
Immature scapes are tender and edible . They are also known as 'garlic spears', 'stems', or 'tops'. Scapes generally have a milder taste than cloves. They are often used in stir frying or prepared like asparagus.
Garlic leaves are a popular vegetable in many parts of Asia, particularly Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian and Korean cuisines. The leaves are cut, cleaned and then stir-fried with eggs, meat, or vegetables.
Garlic is essential to several Mediterranean dishes . Mixing garlic with eggs and olive oil produces aioli ("garlic and oil" in Provençal). The Spanish variant does not use eggs.
Garlic, oil, and a chunky base produce skordalia (from the Greek and Italian names of garlic).
Blending garlic , almond, oil and soaked bread produces ajoblanco (ajo blanco is Spanish for "white garlic").
Le Tourin is a French garlic soup.
In Asia , garlic is fundamental to Korean and Thai cuisine.
In Chinese cuisine , it is usually chopped and stir-fried with chopped ginger and other aromatics in oil as the basis of sauces.
Japanese cuisine uses very little garlic.
Garlic along with ginger form the basis for most of the Indian curries and cooked varieties of rice such as pulao, biriyani, coconut rice etc.
Place the clove on a board,
set the flat side of a small knife on top
press with your thumb until you have squashed it to a pulp.
You could invest in a proper garlic crusher, though these are tiresome things to clean.
Probably the best way is with a pestle and mortar: add a little salt as this helps to reduce the garlic to a smooth paste.