Chicago Is Named After Garlic. ‘Chicagaoua’ Was The Native American Indian Word For Wild Garlic

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 evil 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 clothesline.”
• Garlic was even once used to treat acne, warts, and toothaches.
• The psychological term for fear of garlic is alliumphobia.
• The smell of garlic can be removed by running your hands under cold water while rubbing a stainless steel object.
• If your rose garden is being attacked by aphids, an excellent home remedy to get rid of them is to spritz the leaves and blooms with a mixture of crushed garlic and water.
• Garlic is believed to ward off heart disease, cancer, colds, and flu. The consumption of garlic lowers blood cholesterol levels. and reduces the buildup of plaque in the arteries.
• Egyptian slaves built the pyramids on a diet of garlic,
  bread, and water.
• In medieval times, garlic was regarded as an antidote to drunkenness and overeating.
• Garlic is native to central Asia and has long popped up in European and African cooking, too. But it’s China that currently holds the record for most garlic grown. Per a 2012 study, China grows a staggering two-thirds of the world’s garlic, believed to be around 46 billion pounds per year.
• Average consumption of garlic is believed to weigh in at around two pounds per person.Even with just two pounds, that means eating roughly 302 cloves per person per year, as each clove typically weighs about three grams.
• The sticky juice that’s in garlic cloves is often used as an adhesive, especially for delicate projects that involve fragile items like glass. You just need to crush the cloves to get to the sticky stuff which, despite its smell, works surprisingly well as a bonding agent for smaller jobs.
• You can battle both acne and cold sores with garlic, simply by slicing cloves in half and applying them directly to the skin.
• Garlic applied on wounds can heal them faster. During World War I, this healing quality of garlic was used extensively by British soldiers.
•  In ancient Greece, brides carried bouquets of herbs and garlic, not flowers.
• The city of Chicago is named after garlic. ‘Chicagaoua’ was the Indian word for wild garlic.
• During WWII, garlic was nicknamed “Russian Penicillin”. Russian soldiers ran out of penicillin and they literally started using crushed garlic in place of the medicine. That practice earned garlic its moniker.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Mobile-Cuisine

SC Garlic

Mental Floss

Garlic  Shaker

Facts Legend