Updated March 10, 2024
National Garlic Day is observed annually on April 19. This stinking rose is a member of the lily family. This family also includes onions, leeks and shallots. While garlic originated in Asia over 7,000 years ago, it is used in a variety of cuisines, but it is also used for medicinal purposes.
It is considered an herbal remedy for colds, and it has been suggested to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. Modern science has proven garlic’s antibiotic properties.
Myth and superstition reek of garlic. The most familiar one is garlic wards off vampires. This same theory seemed to work on witches, werewolves, demons and other such evils one could come across. Folklore tells us garlic grew from satan’s left footprint when he left the Garden of Eden; Greek midwives kept evils spirits away with it, and courage filled Roman soldiers who consumed the bulb.
Our dreams often have meaning. Dreaming of garlic is no different. To dream about garlic in the house is supposed to mean good luck and if the dream includes eating garlic (perhaps in a pesto sauce), there might be hidden secrets. There are over 300 varieties of garlic in the world to dream about as well!
Gilroy, California is known as the Garlic Capital of the World. Will Rogers was once quoted as saying it is “…the only place in America where you can marinate a steak just by hanging it out on a clothes line.”
- 3000 BC – Upon reaching the Middle East, Indian traders introduce garlic to the Assyrian and Babylonian empires.
- 1325 BC – Well-preserved garlic cloves are present in the tomb of King Tutankhamen.
- 1660s – Medical books describe garlic as the best cure for smallpox.
- 1914 – Garlic is extensively used as a cure for dysentery and as an antiseptic during World War I.
- Did you know garlic is both a vegetable and an herb?
- When picking out garlic at the grocery store, select firm, tight, heavy, dry bulbs.
- Garlic has been used medicinally since the Greek and Roman times. Today garlic is a widely recognized health enhancing supplement. It promotes the well-being of the heart and immune systems with antioxidant properties and helps maintain healthy blood circulation. One of garlic’s greatest health benefits includes the ability to enhance the body’s immune cell activity
- Garlic was once believed to fight off acne, warts, toothaches and evil spirits.
- Its pungent flavor is caused by a chemical reaction that occurs when the garlic cells are broken. The flavor is most intense just after mincing. The smell can be removed from your hands by running them under cold water while rubbing a stainless steel object.
- The psychological term for fear of garlic is alliumphobia.
- If your rose garden is being attacked by aphids – or plant lice – spritz the leaves and blooms with a mixture of crushed garlic and water.
- Drinking lemon juice or eating a few slices of lemon will stop bad garlic breath.
Sources:
