NATIONAL GARLIC DAY
Celebrated annually on April 19, it is National Garlic Day. This day is about the awareness of the many uses of garlic, known as nature’s wonder drug.
Garlic ( Allium sativum ) is a species in the onion family, Allium. It is related to the onion, shallot, leek, chive and rakkyo. Used by humans for over 7,000 years, it is native to central Asia and has been used for both culinary and medicinal purposes.
Garlic is widely used around the world for its flavor as a seasoning. Garlic cloves have a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking.
The leaves and flowers of the garlic plant are also edible. Their flavor is milder than the bulbs and are eaten while immature and still tender. Immature garlic is sometimes pulled, like a scallion, and sold as “green garlic”. The immature flower stalks are sometimes marketed for uses similar to asparagus in stir-fries.
Health Benefits: Garlic is claimed to help prevent heart diseases: atherosclerosis, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, as well as cancer. It is also thought that it might help to fight off coughs and colds. There are studies being conducted of other possible health benefits.
Other Garlic Uses: The sticky juice within the bulb cloves is used as an adhesive in mending glass and porcelain. Garlic is also believed, by some, to ward off evil spirits.
Fun trivia – Fear of Garlic: Alliumphobia is the fear of garlic.