Garlic: Its Use in Cooking and Medicine

One of the most popular ingredients in cooking, whether the dishes originate in India, Thailand,  Spain, France, indeed almost anywhere in the world - is garlic!

The use of garlic has been around for thousands of years, it was even talked about in the Bible. Historical writings clearly prove that garlic was part of the diet of our ancestors. And although it`s very popular in Mediterranean-style cooking, partly because garlic is relatively easy to grow in milder climates it is used by chefs and housewives in restaurants and kitchens around the globe.

A relative of the onion, garlic has the scientific name of Allium sativum. It is usually the bulb that is eaten. Cooking the garlic helps rid it of its very pungent, `hot` taste. And that pungent flavour that garlic has rubs off on to your fingers when touched, and rather like onions it won`t wash off easily. Some suggest that rubbing hands on metal works, (the garlic press for instance), after touching garlic to remove its smell. Another downside is that probably more than any other food we know of, garlic stays on our breath for a long time after it is eaten. It even comes out of our pores when we perspire. 

                                                           

In culinary terms there is no doubt that adding garlic to certain dishes adds much to the flavour. In the preparation of Spanish foods, for example, it would be hard to imagine not having garlic, along with favourites such as ginger, onion, and tomato, where two, or more of those ingredients are used together in a dish.

Aside from its common use in the kitchen, garlic is also used for medicinal purposes. Some people take garlic pills , so convinced are they of its medicinal properties. The problem is that although test tube studies seem to show garlic has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, this does not always translate to what goes on in humans. Some also believe that garlic can be helpful in reducing cholesterol levels, even in fighting off the common cold. Garlic is also thought to help control blood sugar levels. It is also used in Naturopathy medicineas a remedy for certain health problems such as fungal infections and digestive disorders.n not be denied there are negative sides to garlic, with some people suffering from adverse effects of garlic include halitosis, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Patients taking certain medications to control high blood pressure should seek medical advice prior to taking garlic supplements, as it is possible that there could be interaction between the two. Often, different types of medicine do not go well together.

Without question, garlic has its place in the kitchen. I`d hate to think of what our meals would be like without it, certainly not as tasty. Whether it is quite as valuable as some believe it is in medicinal terms is a continuing topic of debate, though the weight of evidence suggests that there are some definite benefits to our health in moderate consumption of garlic.
 

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