Garlic: Health Benefits, Medicial Uses, Side Effects

Originally from Central Asia and the Middle East, garlic has been cultivated and used as a spice, food and medicinal plant in warm and temperate zones worldwide since ancient times. In this country, garlic is imported especially from the Mediterranean countries (Spain, Israel), but also from China. From the plant, the fresh bulbs or cloves (Allii sativi bulbus) and garlic powder (Allii sativi pulvis) and garlic oil obtained from them are used.

Garlic: characteristics of the plant

Garlic is a perennial herbaceous plant, 25-70 cm high. The leaves are oblong, gray-green and with entire margins, and the stems are leafy to about the middle.

Various inflorescences can be seen on the sparsely flowered plant. The single flowers are on long stalks and often remain in the bud stage; flowering time is May to July.

The numerous bulbils are arranged in groups and are spherical to oval in shape. Wild garlic leaves (Allium ursinum) are often used as a substitute for garlic.

Special properties of the bulb

The bulbs are about 3-5 cm wide and surrounded by several white, papery dry skins. Numerous thin roots are visible at the bottom, and remnants of more dry skins are visible at the top.

The bulbs consist of a flat onion cake, a centrally located main bulb and the secondary bulbs (“garlic cloves“) grouped around it.

The smell and taste of garlic

The dry powder is light, brownish-yellow in color and virtually odorless when dry. Garlic is only faintly aromatic when uncrushed; only when cut up do the cloves develop their characteristic leek-oil-like odor.

The flavor of garlic is very spicy and burning.