GARLIC

Garlic—together with onions—are among the best known of all "allium vegetables." Both of these plants (garlic and onions) belong to the same genus of plants called the Allium genus. "Allium" is actually the Latin word for garlic! Other commonly enjoyed foods that belong to this Allium genus are leeks, chives, scallions, and shallots.

Unlike this genus grouping for garlic which is very straightforward, the food family for garlic can be confusing. The correct placement for garlic is within the very broad amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae) that includes the very popular flower by that same name. The Allioideae are a subfamily within the amaryllis family and garlic (Allium sativum) is a member of this Allioideae subfamily, along with onions, leeks, chives, scallions, and shallots.

The reason for some confusion here is two-fold. First, there was a time when garlic and other allium vegetables were assigned to their own family of plants called the Alliaceae family. Second, there was also a time when garlic and the other allium vegetables were assigned to the Lillaceae plant family. As scientists have learned more about the history of plant genetics, they have found it necessary to juggle these classification categories to best fit the newly discovered genetic relationships. Of course, none of these shifts in family classification makes garlic any less reliable as a nutrient-rich, health-supportive food.

Garlic is arranged in a head, called a "bulb," which averages about 2 inches in height and diameter and consists of numerous small separate cloves. Both the cloves and the entire bulb are encased in paper-like sheathes that can be white, off-white, or have a pink/purple hue. Although garlic cloves have a firm texture, they can be easily cut or crushed. The taste of garlic is like no other—it hits the palate with a hot pungency that is shadowed by a very subtle background sweetness.

Most producers of garlic divide its varieties into four types: hardneck, softneck, black, and Creole. Hardneck garlic, like the name suggests, has a central stalk that is hard and woody. Purple Stripe is a popular variety of hardneck garlic, as are Rocambole and Porcelain. In the case of Purple Stripe and other hardneck varieties, you will typically find a light purplish or rosy tint to small portions of the cloves and skins. Hardneck varieties of garlic typically have more "bite" than softnecked varieties. Allium sativum subspecies ophioscorodon is usually the subspecies name to refer to hardneck garlics.

Softneck varieties of garlic are the most common types that you will find in the grocery store. They typically have less "bite" than hardneck varieties. Formidable, Western Rose, Artichoke, and Silverskin are popular varieties of softneck garlic. Allium sativum subspecies sativum is usually the subspecies name to refer to softneck garlics. Softneck varieties of garlic are also typically the types that you find braided in the supermarket.

You will find a good bit of agricultural information on garlic that treats "Creole garlic" as a type of softneck. However, there is also some genetic evidence to suggest that Creole garlic be treated as its own type of garlic, separate from softneck. Creole garlic is usually recognizable by from the rosy/purplish color of the entire garlic bulk (and not just intermittent rosy hues as can be present in hardneck varieties). You are less likely to come across this variety of garlic in the grocery store. Worldwide, however, well-known varieties of Creole garlic include Burgundy, Ajo Rojo, Cuban Purple, and Creole Red.

Heat treatment, high humidity, and aging are typically the processes used to create black garlic. Particularly when the aging process is allowed to continue not only over the course of several days but over the course of several weeks (or even longer), the color of the garlic cloves can turn into a rich black. This variety of garlic has a special history of popularity in parts of Korean, Japan, and Thailand. Although you will often hear the term "fermented garlic" being used to describe black garlic, the use of this term is a matter of some controversy since microorganisms (like bacteria) are not typically added during the garlic aging process to help produce black garlic. (In the world of food, "fermentation" is usually understood to involve the use of bacteria or yeasts in development of a "fermented food.")

Elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) is an unusual type of garlic because it is actually more closely related to leeks (Allium porrum) than to garlic (Allium sativum). When you see elephant garlic growing, its tall flower stalk and large purplish flower head make it seem like an extremely large version of normal garlic—and thus the name. Unlike leeks, however, elephant garlic does form a bulk, and this bulb usually consists of very large cloves that are few in number. (Elephant garlic bulbs may sometimes have only three to four cloves per bulb.)

Two other terms that are important to include in any description of garlic are scapes and ramps. Scapes is a term that is used to refer to the stalks that grow in the middle of hardneck garlic varieties and hold the flowers of the garlic plants. In other words, we are talking about the "greens" of hardneck garlic (versus the root bulb). Ramps (often called wild leeks, wild onions, or spring onions) are a unique species of garlic (Allium tricoccum) that scientists view as a very close relative of wild garlic (Allium vineale). The flavor of ramps is like a blend of pungent garlic and sweet onion. In terms of appearance, ramps look a good bit like scallions. Both scapes and ramps can be enjoyed in a food plan!

HISTORY

Few foods have been enjoyed for such a long period of time and in so many different parts of the world as garlic. There is evidence that garlic originally grew wild in locations as diverse as China, India, Egypt, and what is now Ukraine. At the present time, because wild garlic only grows prolifically in the area represented by Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, this region is considered by some to be the "center of origin" for this remarkable food. Regardless of its center of origin, however, garlic has been cultivated for thousands of years in diverse regions of the world and has become a staple in cuisines across many continents.

China is by far the world's largest commercial producer of garlic, with 20 million tons of production in 2014. In that same year, India was the second largest producer with about 1.25 million tons, and South Korea, Egypt, and Russia rounded out the top five countries for garlic production. Between 50-75% of all garlic consumed in the U.S. is currently grown in China. Mexico and Argentina are also important sources for garlic imports into the U.S. At present, the U.S. serves as the number one import market for fresh garlic worldwide. This demand for fresh garlic in the U.S. is clearly reflected in our increased history of use: on a per capita basis, U.S. adults average about 2 pounds of garlic per year, as compared with less than ½ pound per year in the early 1970's.

Within the United States, 80-90% of all garlic comes from California. Two regions of the state are especially important for garlic production: the western San Joaquin Valley and the area west of the Diablo mountain range. Much smaller amounts of garlic are grown commercially in Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona.

HOW TO SELECT AND STORE

For maximum flavor and nutritional benefits, always purchase fresh garlic. Although garlic in flake, powder, or paste form may be more convenient, you will derive less culinary and health benefits from these forms.

Purchase garlic that is plump and has unbroken skin. Gently squeeze the garlic bulb between your fingers to check that it feels firm and is not damp.

Avoid garlic that is soft, shriveled, and moldy or that has begun to sprout. These may be indications of decay that will cause inferior flavor and texture. Size is often not an indication of quality. If your recipe calls for a large amount of garlic, remember that it is always easier to peel and chop a few larger cloves than many smaller ones.

Fresh garlic is available in the market throughout the year.

Store fresh garlic in either an uncovered or a loosely covered container in a cool, dark place away from exposure to heat and sunlight. This will help maintain its maximum freshness and help prevent sprouting, which reduces its flavor and causes excess waste. It is not necessary to refrigerate garlic. Some people freeze peeled garlic; however, this process reduces its flavor profile and changes its texture.

Depending upon its age and variety, whole garlic bulbs will keep fresh for about a month if stored properly. Inspect the bulb frequently and remove any cloves that appear to be dried out or moldy. Once you break the head of garlic, it greatly reduces its shelf life to just a few days.

TIPS FOR PREPARING AND COOKING

Tips for Preparing Garlic

The first step to using garlic is to separate the individual cloves. An easy way to do this is to place the bulb on a cutting board or hard surface and gently, but firmly, apply pressure with the palm of your hand at an angle. This will cause the layers of skin that hold the bulb together to separate.

Peel garlic with a knife or alternatively, separate the skin from the individual cloves by placing a clove with the smooth side down on a cutting board and gently tapping it with the flat side of a wide knife. You can then remove the skin either with your fingers or with a small knife. If there is a green sprout in the clove's center, gently remove it since it is difficult to digest.

If you are planning to enjoy garlic in its raw form, thorough chewing should be sufficient to crush the plants cells, release alliinase enzymes, and allow those enzymes to convert the garlic's alliin into allicin. Allicin and its breakdown products play a key role in this vegetable's health benefits, and so it is worth doing some thorough chewing when you bring raw garlic into your meal plan.

If you are planning to go the cooked route with your garlic, we recommend that you finely chop your garlic, mince it, or crush your cloves in a garlic press. In other words, don't simply halve or quarter or slice your garlic cloves. Far more plant cells will get crushed if your garlic is put through a press or minced or finely chopped. As a result, this more extensive crushing will release more alliinase enzymes and allows for greater conversion of alliin to allicin prior to cooking.

The Nutrient-Rich Way of Cooking Garlic

We recommend using raw garlic in many of our recipes. If it is a cooked dish you are preparing and you cannot tolerate raw garlic, add chopped garlic towards the end of the cooking time to retain maximum flavor and nutrition. Too much heat for too long will risk damage to nutrients in garlic and will also make garlic bitter. Therefore expose garlic to heat for as little time as possible (5-15 minutes).

If you would like to combine garlic with oil, we recommend that you avoid high-temperature heating of this oil-garlic mixture. Keeping the heat at 250°F/121°C should help lower the risk of damage to certain nutrients in both the garlic and the oil. This same principle applies to the oven roasting of garlic bulbs themselves. We do not recommend the 350°F/177°C temperature range that you will find in many recipes and on many websites. Once again, a lower temperature should help lower risk of damage to certain nutrients present in garlic. . An example of this lower temperature range would be 150-200°F/65-79°C.

HOW TO ENJOY

A Few Quick Serving Ideas

• Purée fresh garlic, canned garbanzo beans, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice to make quick and easy hummus dip.
• Healthy Sauté steamed spinach, garlic, and fresh lemon juice.
• Add garlic to sauces and soups.
• Purée roasted garlic, cooked potatoes and olive oil together to make delicious garlic mashed potatoes. Season to taste.

NUTRITIONAL PROFILE

The sulfur compounds in garlic serve as its spotlight nutrients. These compounds include thiosulfinates, sulfoxides, sulfides, diallyl sulfides and polysulfides, vinyldithiins, ajoenes, and sulfur-containing amino acids and peptides. In addition, garlic is an excellent source of manganese and vitamin B6; a very good source of vitamin C and copper; and a good source of selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B1 and calcium.

HACKS

1. Store it in cool, dry, and dark place
2. Peel a bunch of cloves with the shake tricks
3. Peel a few cloves quickly with hot water
4. Mince it to make it stronger, slice to keep it milder
5. Allow it to rest before cooking with it
6. Don't let your garlic brown
7. Rub a raw garlic for mild seasoning (salad)
8. Make your own garlic salt or powder in the oven
9. Rub stainless steel to remove garlic smell

Sources :

https://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/1011391-10-incredible-garlic-hacks/#slide=2

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=60#descr