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FOOD making carbs count
Garlic breath? Oh yes!
Why garlic is the best bulb to light up your kitchen…
By Judith Ozkan.
After many years of ridicule
and rejection, garlic Allium
sativum, has become
a mainstay of British
cooking. Raw or cooked, crushed or
minced, fresh or frozen, this pungent
bulb has conquered the tastebuds of
almost every national cuisine over
the years. In spite of its popularity,
many people are unsure about what
garlic actually is. Neither herb, nor
spice, garlic isn't even a vegetable but
is actually a member of the lily family
- like onions, shallots, and leeks.
Garlic is one of the oldest
cultivated crops in the world. It's
native to central Asia and has been
used as a foodstuff for more than
5000 years in India and Egypt
alone. It can be cultivated on most
continents and because it needs
a bit of cold to split the bulbs into
cloves, it grows well over winter here
in the UK. The main type of garlic
available in UK supermarkets is the
'soft neck' variety which produces
multiple cloves and stores well. Bulbs
are made up of as many as twenty
edible bulblets called cloves, which
are covered and bound together with
a membrane.
Other varieties which can be
found in specialist shops include:
• Rocambole garlic, its purplestreaked
'film star good looks' and
hot taste make it popular with
chefs.
• Spanish or red garlic, another
good-looker with a deep purple
colour and a large bulb with a mild
taste.
• Artichoke or Italian garlic, a multicloved
variety whose taste changes
according to how old it is.
• Black or smoked garlic has become
fashionable in recent years for
its sweet taste and dramatic
appearance.
• Wild garlic, currently appearing
at a damp patch of woodland near
you, is mild and fresh tasting and
free to gather for seasonal wild
garlic soup.
Bulbs in the dark
You can store garlic and it will retain
its flavour for up to six months.
When buying garlic, look for bulbs
that are firm and have an intact
skin. The cloves shouldn't 'give' or
crackle when squeezed lightly. Garlic
is usually in season from April -
September. Outside of those times
it will have come out of storage. Buy
from farmers' markets if you can and
store in a cool, dark place. The back
of a cupboard is ideal. Your fridge is
too cold. Avoid sealing in plastic bags,
use paper ones or keep in an open
jar. Peeled garlic can be stored in an
airtight bag and freezes well.
Having been around for such a
long-time garlic has acquired quite a
reputation and attracted numerous
myths as a good luck charm or
talisman to ward off evil and any
lurking vampires. Fun facts include:
• Dreaming about eating garlic in
your home is a sign of good luck
and will help you uncover some
secrets.
• The vampire myths come from
eastern Europe where it is believed
that garlic will protect you from
the prince of darkness, devils,
werewolves and the 'evil eye'.
• In Greek folklore, hanging garlic in
a newborn's bedroom is believed to
protect them from evil spirits.
• In Korea, garlic is thought to repel
tigers and it was popular to eat a
few cloves before setting off on a
long trip through the mountains.
• Garlic braids over your doors bring
good luck and help to repel thieves
and envious people.
• It's thought the US city Chicago
was named from a native American
word for a type of wild garlic called
'chicagaoua'.
Peppered with garlic
Garlic even caught Shakespeare's
attention and his works are