How to cook garlic
Information for garlic in our free cooking ingredients collection.
Garlic
Garlic is a member of the Allium genus, as are the onion, leek, and scallion. Covered in a loose, thin outer skin, the garlic bulb consists of small sections called cloves that are individually wrapped by a more tight-fitting, paper-like sheath.
Family - Amaryllidaceae
Scientific name - Allium sativum L.
Common name - garlic, stinking rose
Contains phytochemicals that may promote health
Varieties
Some 300 varieties of garlic are grown around the world. In the United States only two main types, “early” and “late”, are grown. About 90 percent of the garlic is grown in California. The early variety is harvested in mid-summer, and the late variety is harvested a few weeks later. The late variety is slightly denser and has a longer shelf life than the early variety. Other, rare varieties of garlic are the Chileno and Elephant garlic, which is actually a form of leek and has a milder flavor.
Origin and botanical facts
Garlic is native to central Asia, where it has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years. Garlic was known to the Egyptians as early as 3200 B.C. When taking solemn oaths, the ancient Egyptians swore on garlic in much the same way people swear on the Bible today. Today, garlic is among the leading vegetable crops of the world. Some 2.3 million metric tons are produced worldwide annually. Some of the leading garlic-producing countries are China, South Korea, India, Spain, the United States, Thailand, Egypt, Turkey, and Brazil.
Garlic is available year-round as a result of staggered harvests and a long shelf life. The California harvest begins in June, and garlic is shipped to markets from July through December. When the California supply is depleted, it is replaced by imported garlic from Mexico and South America.
How to cook garlic
Garlic’s strength varies with the season and variety, a factor to keep in mind when cooking with garlic. Because garlic that has sprouted is less pungent than younger garlic, sprouting should be prevented by keeping the bulbs in a cool, dark place. Garlic is the basic flavoring in most Chinese dishes and in much of the cooking of southern and central Europe. Garlic is potent when raw, milder when sauteed, and sweetly delicate when boiled or baked, because heat destroys some of the flavor and odor-producing compounds. However, when garlic is sauteed, care must be taken not to burn the garlic, because it will turn bitter. Slow baking produces garlic that is sweet and nutty with a buttery consistency. Baked garlic can be spread on bread to make an appetizer. Rubbing a salad bowl with a cut garlic clove before adding the ingredients will give the salad a mild and fresh garlic flavor. Garlic juice also can be used to make salad dressing. Slivers of garlic can be inserted into slits made in roast beef, veal, or lamb before cooking. In addition, whole garlic can be baked or roasted with meat or poultry.
Nutrient composition
Garlic contains the phytochemicals allicin, ajoene, saponins, and phenolic compounds that may have antioxidant and immune-promoting functions.
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