Description

INTRODUCTION

A member of the onion family, the garlic bulb is an indispensable flavouring in cooking and is widely used throughout Southern Europe, the Middle East, the far East, Africa , the West Indies, Mexico, and North and South America. A native of Asia, it is easily grown and widely cultivated in warm climates throughout the world. It can be grown successfully in northern Europe and in North America, but in cooler conditions the bulb never reaches itsrnmaximum flavour potential.

Garlic has been used medicinally and as flavouring for at least 5000 years, and has been cultivated in the Mediterranean region since the time of the ancient Egyptians. The anglo-saxons grew it, too, and gave it its name:rngar, a lance, and leac, a leek. Roman soldiers ate it as stimulant, and ancient mariners always took it as a part of their ships stores.

The straight, rigid stem, topped by a spherical pink or white flower head, grows to a height of 60 cm. Each bulb is made up of several cloves, which may have white, pink or purple skin, encased in a paper-like sheath.ODOUR PROFILE

Spicy, sharp, warm, characteristic garlic-like odourAllium sativum3137