| Some facts and folklore about garlic: | | | | the breaking down of the cellular walls when garlic |
| - Garlic is a member of the same family as the | | | | is chopped, crushed or minced. This releases |
| onion, leek and shallot. | | | | various sulfur compounds which account for the |
| - The name 'garlic' comes from an Old English | | | | sharp flavor. These compounds are removed |
| word that means 'spear leek'. | | | | when garlic is cooked, thus causing the garlic to |
| - Garlic is thought to have originated in southeast | | | | mellow in flavor. |
| Asia. It has been used in culinary and medicinal | | | | - 'Garlic breath' that occurs after eating garlic is |
| applications for at least 6,000 years. | | | | not only caused by residue of the garlic left in the |
| - China is by far the largest producer of garlic. In | | | | mouth. It is the result of the digestion of the garlic |
| 2005 China produced 23 billion pounds of garlic, | | | | and the odor is exhaled through the lungs. Any |
| 75% of the world's total production. | | | | attempts at sweetening garlic breath will not |
| - There is an ancient Christian myth that says | | | | actually stop it, only mask it. |
| when Satan left the garden of Eden, garlic | | | | - In the United States, garlic was found only in |
| sprouted out of his left footprint. | | | | ethnic dishes until the 1930's. Slang terms for garlic |
| - Some have said that if a clove of garlic is | | | | in the early 20th century were Bronx Vanilla and |
| crushed and rubbed on the sole of your foot that | | | | Italian Perfume. |
| you will experience the taste of garlic on your | | | | - Gangsters in the first half of the 20th century |
| tongue after a half hour or so. | | | | would rub crushed garlic cloves onto bullets they |
| - Garlic is a natural blood thinner and massive | | | | loaded into their guns. If anyone that was shot |
| consumption of it can lead to bleeding disorders. | | | | survived, they were likely to develop a serious |
| - Garlic as well as onions can be toxic to dogs and | | | | infection from a garlic-rubbed bullet. |
| cats. | | | | - The smaller the piece of garlic, the stronger the |
| - Garlic contains natural antibiotic and anti-fungal | | | | flavor. So when you use it, the smaller you mince |
| compounds. These compounds are released from | | | | it the more you'll taste it. |
| the clove after it is crushed, but quickly break | | | | - Because of its odor, garlic is sometimes referred |
| down in contact with air. | | | | to as The Stinking Rose. Why a 'Rose', no one |
| - The sharp, hot flavor of raw garlic is caused by | | | | seems to know. |