Garlic (Allium sativum) is available around the year in almost every store. Opinions differ on the smell, but the health effect of garlic is undisputed. The white bulb is also popular for cooking. For a long time now, this spicy ingredient has been appreciated not only in the cuisine of hot countries, where garlic has been on the plate since time immemorial, not least because of its antibacterial properties. Spaghetti “Aglio e Olio”, a fresh tzatziki or a hint of garlic in tomato sauce have become an integral part of many menus in this country. What to consider when cooking with garlic and what makes the “Knobi” so healthy, read here.
Ingredients of garlic
A garlic bulb consists of individual cloves, which are full of effective ingredients. Especially the sulfur-containing amino acid alliin and its degradation products are important for health. Fresh garlic contains 0.5 to 1 percent alliin. When garlic is crushed, a chemical reaction is set in motion: alliin is converted into allicin by the enzyme alliinase. This substance is responsible for the typical garlic odor – as well as for the pungent, aromatic taste of the cloves. The juice of the cloves has a sticky consistency.
Garlic as a medicinal plant: so healthy is garlic.
Scientists attribute health-promoting effects on the body to the ingredient allicin and its breakdown products. In experiments, garlic inhibits the spread of fungi and bacteria and even showed a slight antiviral effect. Furthermore, garlic – or more precisely its sulfur-containing compound ajoene – probably inhibits blood clotting because it has a blood-thinning effect, preventing individual platelets from sticking together. This allows the blood to flow better through the veins. This in turn can protect against the development of arteriosclerosis, strengthens the circulatory system and prevents blood clots, i.e. thromboses such as heart attacks. Garlic sulfur compounds can also positively affect the cardiovascular system by reducing blood lipid levels. In addition, there are studies that show a slight blood pressure lowering property of garlic. It is still controversial whether allicin is also able to lower bad LDL cholesterol levels. In addition, garlic is a well-suited source of selenium. Selenium is an essential trace element that is important for metabolism, the immune system, the thyroid gland, and healthy skin and nails.
Allicin – important for the effect
Anyone who wants to make particularly good use of the healthy ingredients should note the following when dealing with garlic: Allicin is only formed when the cell walls of the garlic are damaged – for example, when pressed. For this reason, according to studies, it makes sense to crush garlic before use and then let it steep for about ten minutes. This gives the enzyme alliinase time to produce the protective substance allicin. If the garlic is then cooked for only a few minutes, its effectiveness is maximized. Because the sulfur compounds are sensitive to heat.
Garlic capsules from the pharmacy
Who does not like the taste of garlic, can resort to garlic preparations in the form of tablets and dragées from the pharmacy. However, their effectiveness is controversial. Many preparations also contain hawthorn and mistletoe, for example, to strengthen the heart and support circulatory function. If you are taking blood-thinning medication, it is better to avoid high-dose tablets and coated tablets containing garlic, or at least to consult a doctor before taking them. Because the medicinal plant can possibly strengthen the anticoagulant effect of the drugs.
Regeneration of the body: garlic-lemon cure.
Garlic is considered so healthy that there is even a cure with garlic: The lemon garlic cure involves drinking a drink consisting of water, untreated lemons and garlic several times a day. This is said to:
- Free the body from calcium deposits
- Regulate blood pressure
- Promote the cardiovascular system
Ginger, turmeric or pepper can support the effect.
What to do against a plume of garlic?
Against the smell of garlic, which many people find unpleasant, there is unfortunately no effective remedy – as well as against the notorious garlic plume that blows us after eating garlic.Sometimes, however, home remedies such as milk, ginger, lemon juice, and peppermint gum or candy soften garlic breath, at least for a while. Chlorophyll capsules, a popular remedy for bad breath, can also provide a softened garlic breath. However, you should discuss this measure with your doctor in advance.
Buying and storing garlic
Garlic is available in most supermarkets throughout the year. You can buy the bulb fresh, semi-dry or dry (then usually chopped or powdered). Regarding storage, garlic prefers a dark, cool and airy but dry environment. Then the garlic bulbs will keep for several weeks.
Cooking with garlic: what it goes with?
Due to its aromatic flavor, garlic is very suitable for seasoning and refining salads, sauces, meat and vegetable dishes. Especially to dishes of the Mediterranean as well as Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine garlic simply belongs. Well-known dishes or recipes with garlic are, for example, garlic shrimp, garlic bread, garlic dip or garlic in combination with pasta, such as spaghetti with garlic.
5 Tips for the preparation
Below we have five tips for a successful preparation of garlic for you:
- Garlic is easier to peel if you press on the clove with the broad side of a knife. The peel then often comes off almost by itself.
- When cooking, make sure that the garlic does not burn, because otherwise it gets a bitter taste and becomes inedible.
- Add a few whole cloves of garlic to stir-fried or oven dishes. Then, before you serve the food, fish the cloves out again. The garlic thus leaves a wonderfully light aroma.
- You get rid of the unpleasant smell of garlic on your hands again by rubbing your fingers on a stainless steel surface – for example, the sink. Or you can use a garlic press right away.
- Pickle garlic: To do this, simply peel the cloves, put them in canning jars, fill with olive oil and then seal. Thus, the garlic is preserved and the oil gets a wonderful aroma. The garlic oil is best suited for dressings or sauces.
A new trend from Japan is now also black garlic. Black garlic tastes like umami, the fifth flavor, and is well suited for garlic sauces and marinades.
Garlic: a bulb with a history
Garlic has a long history as a medicinal plant: even among the Egyptians, it is said to have served as a tonic and to have been used successfully against intestinal parasites. Later, the bulb was even said to have a positive effect on bite wounds, hair loss or lung disease. Today, there is hardly any talk of all these applications. Garlic is now primarily used in the fight against the widespread disease arteriosclerosis.
Origin of the medicinal plant
Garlic belongs to the allium family and blooms in this country from June to August. Although the bulb originated in Central Asia, it is now grown worldwide. Garlic can grow up to 90 centimeters high. The plant forms a bulb underground, which is surrounded by a thin, white or reddish sheath. Around the main clove, approximately five to twenty other cloves are arranged in a circle, which together form the bulb.
