BBC
World service
Garlic has been valued for thousands of years, not only for its distinctive flavor, but also for its medicinal properties.
Known for its antibacterial and antiviral properties, garlic has long been an indispensable ingredient in the kitchen, as well as in traditional medicines.
Garlic originally comes from Central Asia, from where, thanks to the migration of peoples, it spread throughout Europe and reached the United States of America (USA).
Today, China is the largest garlic producer in the world.
Program The Food Chain (Food Chain) BBC World Service explored the rich history and cultural significance of garlic, but also asked a key question: is garlic really good for us?
An indispensable ingredient in the kitchen
Garlic is a basic ingredient in many national cuisines around the world.
Danish chef Paul Erik Jensen, who has students from the US, Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), and Asia at his culinary school in northwestern France, says he has never met a student who doesn't know about garlic.
He believes that garlic enhances the flavor of dishes in an incredible way and wonders what French cuisine would even look like without it.
"I don't think the French can even imagine a savory dish without garlic," says Jensen.
"From broths and soups, to vegetable and meat dishes, there's always a clove of garlic everywhere."
"It's unimaginable without him."
Yet, while growing up in a rural area in Denmark in the early 1970s, garlic was almost unknown.
He remembers that it had a bad reputation at the time because of its strong smell, but everything changed with the arrival of Turkish workers in Denmark, who also brought dishes that used garlic.
Jensen says he got used to garlic thanks to Italian pizzas, and today he also uses it as a natural remedy during the winter.
"My partner and I drink a cup of broth every morning with a clove of garlic squeezed into it," he says.
"We haven't had a cold or a serious flu, and I'm sure it's thanks to the garlic."
A long journey
Garlic has had cultural and spiritual significance for millennia.
The ancient Greeks left garlic at crossroads as an offering to Hecate, the goddess of magic and witchcraft and protector of the household.
In Egypt, garlic was found in the tomb of the famous pharaoh Tutankhamun, as it was believed to protect him in the afterlife.
In Chinese and Filipino traditions, there are stories of people who used garlic to drive away vampires.
"The oldest known recipe in the world is stew from Mesopotamia."
"It's about 3.500 years old and among the ingredients listed are two cloves of garlic," says Robin Cherry, author of The Garlic Book. Garlic: An Edible Biography.
"The oldest medical record of garlic is also about 3.500 years old."
"It's the Ebers Papyrus, which contains numerous tips on how to use garlic to treat everything from exhaustion and parasites to heart and respiratory ailments," she explains.
Cherry adds that the ancient Greek physician and philosopher Hippocrates used garlic in various therapies, and it was also mentioned by famous thinkers and writers such as Aristotle and Aristophanes precisely because of its medicinal properties.
From slave food to the royal table
Garlic was very popular in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, and India.
Roman soldiers believed that garlic gave them strength and courage, so they spread it throughout Europe during their conquests.
Although garlic was used as both food and medicine, in a culinary sense it was once reserved for the poorer classes of society.
"It was really just food for the poor," says Robin Cherry.
"It was supposed to give strength to the slaves who built the pyramids in Egypt, or to Roman sailors, because it was cheap and could mask the taste of bad food."
"That's why it was considered a food only eaten by the poor."
Attitudes towards garlic began to change during the Renaissance, a key period in European history between the 14th and 16th centuries, a time of revival of classical learning and a flourishing of the arts and sciences.
"The French King Henry IV was baptized with garlic and ate a lot of it himself, which contributed to his popularity," says Robin Cherry.
He adds that garlic was also popular in Victorian England during the 19th century.
It arrived in the US much later, in the 1950s and 1960s thanks to migrants, and this helped break down some negative stereotypes.
"Garlic was actually used in a derogatory sense for Jews, Italians, and Koreans."
"They were called 'the ones' who ate garlic, which had an offensive meaning," Cherry explains.
Buy look kao lek
Today, there are more than 600 varieties of garlic in the world.
Some, such as those from Uzbekistan in Central Asia and Georgia in the Caucasus, have only recently become available on the world market.
In addition to having an important place in modern kitchens, garlic is still often used as a natural remedy, especially for relieving cold symptoms.
Clinical trials have studied its effects on blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and even cancer, but the results have been mixed.
A small study conducted in Iran found that garlic and lemon juice helped lower cholesterol and blood pressure within six weeks.
However, a larger study conducted by Stanford University in the US, which included 200 healthy people over six months, did not find a significant reduction in cholesterol.
However, a 2014 study by the University of Sydney confirmed the powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties of garlic.
"Garlic contains high levels of potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and sulfur, as well as moderate amounts of magnesium, manganese, and iron."
"It's a miracle vegetable," says Bahi van de Boer, a pediatric dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association.
“It contains allicin, a wonderful active compound rich in sulfur.
"It's also rich in prebiotic fiber that our gut loves, so it's great for gut health."
"It also has antibacterial properties," she says, explaining that the fiber in garlic feeds beneficial bacteria in the gut and can help with constipation and bloating.
It is believed that adults can eat one to two cloves of raw garlic per day.
However, according to a paper published in a medical journal American Family Physician (American Family Physician), excessive garlic intake, especially on an empty stomach, can cause digestive system problems, bloating, and disruption of the intestinal flora.
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