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A
native of Europe and Central Asia, garlic was well-known to ancient
Egyptians way back in 2600 BC. Along with onion, garlic was fed
to thousands of tired and famished workers engaged in the gruelling
task of building the great pyramid of Cheops.Garlic is a hardy bulbous
annual, with narrow flat leaves a pungent and acid flavour and acknowledged
medicinal value.Like onion, the entire bulb ('cloves') is almost
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odour
but, once cut or bruised, they produce an intensely strong and characteristic
odour. Garlic is used in vegetable, meat and poultry dishes, especially
in casserole,stew and marinade. A favourite in Chinese cuisine,
garlic is fast becoming popular in Europe and USA. Garlic oil finds
use in ready made spice - mixes, pharmaceuticals and disinfectants.
Garlic is cultivated in most parts of India. some of the internationally
acclaimed varieties of Indian garlic are 'Poona', 'Nasik', 'Madurai',
and 'Jamnagar'. Besides garlic powder and dehydrated flakes, India
also exports oil and oleoresin with all constituents intact but
without its pungent odour.
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