Symbols and models of garlic found in the pyramids of ancient Egypt bear witness to the fact that garlic was not only an important foodstuff, but that it had ritual significance as well. The Egyptians swore on a clove of garlic when they took a solemn oath. It was the main component in the diet of the slaves who built the pyramids, since it was thought to prevent heat prostration.
Hungarian jockeys used to carry garlic believing that it prevented another horse and rider from getting in front of them. In India, garlic is worn for protection against evil spirits and spells. And, of course, garlic was said to repel vampires, providing it was more than one month old, made into a necklace and worn around the neck, each head of garlic separated by no more than 2 inches (5 cm).
The Greeks and the Romans also used garlic for its therapeutic qualities. It was believed to be an aphrodisiac and also believed to be a remedy for eczema, toothache and snakebites. Garlic is found all over Europe (vats of butter strongly flavored with garlic, which date to 200-300 BC, have been found by archaeologists in Ireland). Garlic was grown in Charlemagne's gardens during the 7th century and was used in England even before the Roman Conquest. Once called the "stinking rose", garlic holds much greater culinary status now than it did in ancient Roman times. Then, the patricians gave it to their laborers to keep up their strength; the wealthy citizens considered garlic too pungent for their own taste, but included it in soldiers' rations to make them strong and heroic.
During the First and Second World Wars, the plant was credited with saving thousands of lives. Garlic was used as an antiseptic to disinfect open wounds and prevent gangrene because penicillin and other drugs were scarce.
Garlic has a sulfur-containing compound, allicin, which is believed to do good even though it's what makes garlic smell bad. Claims have been made that garlic not only has antibacterial and antioxidant properties, but that it is an effective expectorant. It is also said to boost the immune system, discourge intestinal parasites, inhibit tumor growth, lower blood pressure, prevent blood clots, promote heart health and reduce cholesterol. For decades, scientists have been conducting human trials, using various garlic preparations, to test these hypotheses. In the absence of proof, the faithful dose themselves with deoderized tablets and garlic oil sold by health food stores.
Throughout 5,000 years of flavorful history, it seems that garlic has been used as a cure-all for everything from depression to deadly epidemics.
In the culinary world, the least understood fact about garlic is that the longer you cook it, the milder and sweeter it becomes. When peeling garlic, try rinsing it in hot water first; the skin will come off more easily. The name comes from the Old English word garleac, gar, meaning "spear" and leac, referring to its resemblance to the leek. Some of the more common varieties are white, pink and purple garlic (only the outside skin is colored). Rocambole garlic, or Spanish garlic, A. scorodoprasum, is the sweetest of any garlic. There are two subtypes of garlic: softneck and hardneck. Softneck is the most common type found in stores in North America. It has soft center leaves that can, if left long, be easily bent and used in garlic braids. It does not produce a tall seed stalk like hardneck garlic. Softneck garlic has more protective outer layers of papery skin, which makes it last longer on store shelves. Hardneck garlic has a hard central seed stalk called a "scape" and fewer, larger cloves than softneck garlic. Because it lacks many outer layers of skin, it tends to go bad more quickly than softneck garlic, hence its absence in many grocery stores. See also roasted garlic.
From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
