Plants are often named by combining a word that describes the shape of their leaves or stem with the name of a similar plant that already has a name. Thus, spikenard is literally a spike of nard while garlic—less obviously—is literally a spear of leek. With garlic this origin is somewhat disguised because the Old English word for spear—gar—became obsolete in the mid thirteenth century, except as part of garlic and as part of garfish, a fish with a spear-like snout. Incidentally, the Indo-European source of the Old English gar also gave rise to the word goad, the action of “prodding” someone along. Both goad and garlic appeared in English about a thousand years ago. Garlic also known as Allium sativum.
A bulbous member of the lily family.
A plant used as a spice and as a medicinal herb to lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Garlic contains a compound called allicin that is known to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Allicin may also stimulate the immune system and have antibiotic properties. Garlic has been used as a medicinal herb for thousands of years and is commonly used in Chinese medicine.
An edible, strongly flavored bulb, Allium sativa, used mainly for seasoning foods. Garlic is said to have beneficial effects on heart disease; however there is little scientific evidence to support this claim.
Garlic is a plant that produces a bulb with tall, flattened, greyish-green leaves and delicate white flowers that form a head. The bulb is comprised of sections known as cloves or toes, each of which is covered by a thin, white or pinkish skin and clusters tightly together within a white, paper-like outer skin. These cloves can be peeled and used whole, chopped, or grated in various dishes. Garlic has a flavor that is similar to onions but much stronger and more pungent. When used judiciously, it can enhance the taste of foods such as salads, tomato dishes, roast lamb, pickles, and many others. It is interesting to note that although garlic is commonly associated with Italian cuisine, it is said to have originated in Eastern Mongolia.
Garlic is a plant that belongs to the onion family. It features long, flat leaves and a cluster of small, white flowers at the top of each flower stalk. A single garlic head is actually a cluster of several small bulbs, referred to as “cloves,” that are held together by the outer skin. These heads can be stored for months in a dry location and are not affected when some of the cloves are removed.