Garlic is more than just a vegetable; for centuries, it has been used as a spice and a herb. Besides making our breaths stinky, garlic has a lot of health benefits. It is one of the few edible bulbs that can be added to almost every meal. Here are some fun facts that you probably don’t know about garlic.
1. You Can Taste Garlic by Rubbing It on Your Feet
Did you know you can taste garlic by rubbing it on your feet? The compound found in garlic, allicin, can travel through the bloodstream and reach your taste buds in about 15 minutes. It’s a form of aromatherapy.
2. Garlic has Been Around for Thousands of Years
Historians date garlic back to Mesopotamia around 4,000 years ago. It was so popular in Egypt and China that it was even found in the tombs of Egyptian Pharaohs. Garlic was also part of the ancient Greek and Roman cuisine. At the time, garlic was also used to treat various diseases, such as arthritis and snake bites.
3. Garlic Can Prevent Colds
Studies done on garlic have shown that it can prevent colds and shorten their duration. That’s because garlic is rich in antioxidants, and it’s an immunity booster. To get the most out of garlic’s flu-fighting properties, it should be eaten raw. Because garlic is bitter, one can cut it to pieces and swallow it like pills.
4. Humans’ Sweat Can Smell Like Garlic
When garlic is crushed, it releases a compound called alliinase. This compound turns another compound found in garlic, known as allin, into allicin. The latter contains sulfur, which is responsible for garlic’s nasty smell. Interestingly, when garlic is absorbed in the body, it wafts through skin pores, making a person’s sweat smell like garlic. This mainly applies to instances where someone consumes a high amount of garlic.
5. China Produces At Least 70% of Garlic in the World
China is the World’s leading garlic producer; they produce around 73% of the commodity. India comes in at a distant second with a production of around 10%. Other countries that produce garlic on large scale include Egypt, Korea, and Bangladesh.
6. Garlic Can Be Used as Glue
Civilizations from the 13th century used garlic as glue. It’s not as strong as modern-day glue, but it can get the job done when used on objects such as glass, leather, or paper.
7. Brides Used to Carry Bouquets of Garlic
These days, brides carry a bouquet of flowers. Interestingly, in the past, they used to carry bouquets of herbs and spices such as garlic. They believed garlic possessed mystical powers that could repel evil spirits threatening to affect the new relationship. Also, fresh garlic symbolized a new life.
8. Soldiers Used Garlic As Medicine during the World Wars
In World War I, garlic was the go-to medicine for wounded soldiers. Its healing properties allowed soldiers to recover quickly. Soldiers also used garlic during World War II despite the invention of penicillin. It was mostly used by the Russian Red Army.
9. Garlic was Also Used in Childbirth
In the past, some cultures used garlic during delivery. It was used to ward off evil spirits that might harm the baby and the mother. Garlic was sometimes placed in the delivery room to promote the newborn’s safety.
10. There’s More to Garlic than Just the Bulb
Most people are familiar with the bulb part of the garlic plant. However, it has a flower that produces green shoots similar to scallion. So, it’s not just the bulb part that is edible.
11. Garlic is a Natural Mosquito Repellent
Besides adding flavor to food, garlic can be used as a mosquito repellant. When ingested, garlic will be wafted off through the skin pores. As a result, it can protect you from these annoying bloodsuckers. Crushing and placing a few cloves near the bed can also keep mosquitoes away.
12. There’s a Japanese Legend That Claims Jesus was a Garlic Farmer
In Japan, there is a legend about Jesus that claims he changed his name to Torai Tora Daitenku and started growing garlic on his farm. The legend also narrates how Jesus married a woman called Miyuko and had three daughters.
13. There is a Single Clove Garlic
The most popular garlic varieties come with many cloves in one bulb. However, there is another version called the solo garlic. This variety only has one single massive clove. Contrary to popular belief, solo garlic is not genetically engineered. It’s just a variation of elephant garlic.
14. There’s Black Garlic
While white garlic is the most popular garlic variety, there is a black version that has been aged using high humidity and low heat. Black garlic is better than regular garlic because it contains more antioxidants. Even though it’s been trending for the past few years, black garlic has always been around, especially in Asia.
15. Ninjas Never Ate Garlic
To avoid being detected by enemies, ninjas avoided garlic, leeks, and other pungent foods. Because of the scent these foods produce, they would easily give out a ninja’s position. In the same breath, ninjas were very keen on body odor.
16. Buddhists Don’t Eat Garlic
Jains are firm believers in not killing plants and animals because this is considered a form of violence. Therefore, pulling up a garlic bulb is considered wrong because it kills the entire plant. For this reason, some Buddhists do not eat garlic and other bulbs such as onions.