Types of Fresh Garlic
Although most people are only familiar with the fresh garlic bulbs sold in grocery stores, there are several hundred different varieties of garlic that can be purchased or grown for culinary use. Farmer's markets and ethnic grocers are the first place to look for varieties that differ from the allium sativum, or softneck, species that is sold in stores everywhere. Almost every country has a variety of garlic specific to the soil and conditions found there. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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Fresh garlic has been used as an herb for cooking for thousands of years to add flavor to many dishes. Chinese medicine has long advocated the use of garlic for problems relating to the heart and blood. The folklore of many European countries has attributed garlic with the repulsion of evil and it is believed that was the original purpose of garlic braids that decorate many homes.
Types
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Garlic is a member of the Lily family and has two major subset varieties, the softneck and the hardneck. The softneck varieties are used mostly for flavoring and healing, while the hardneck garlic is the best for roasting and eating whole. Elephant garlic, with its large cloves is also the mildest of the garlic varieties.
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Identification
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Softneck garlic is easily identified by its uniform sized cloves and paper like skin. It is easy to break apart and the skin peels easily from the individual cloves. Hardneck garlic is identified by the extremely hard center stem and cloves that are much larger than those found on the softneck varieties. Elephant garlic is one of the better known forms of the hardneck variety that is common, although it has a very mild, almost bland taste.
Size
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Fresh garlic, which is dried before storing or selling, can range in size from cloves approximately the size of a fingertip to close to the size of a small egg. Generally, the larger the garlic clove, the less taste and medicinal value the clove contains.
Considerations
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When purchasing fresh garlic, look for tight bulbs with an abundance of paper sheathing. Avoid bulbs that are showing signs of green growth or have a soft, mushy feel. Garlic has its strongest taste when served raw. The longer garlic is cooked, the milder the taste becomes.
Benefits
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Fresh garlic is purported to have numerous health benefits. Some of these benefits have been proven by science, while others remain in the folklore realm. Raw garlic is a known antibacterial agent, although it can blister the skin. Claims of cholesterol lowering and reducing high blood pressure levels are thought to be true, but studies have not proven these theories.
Warning
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Because of its pungent smell and flavor, garlic heavy dishes can cause bad breath. Overeating of garlic can cause the human body to emit the smell as body odor.
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