In Ancient Europe Garlic Was Believed To Ward Off Demons, Werewolves, And Vampires. People Hung It In Windows Or Wore It To Protect Themselves.

Each year on April 19th, National Garlic Day celebrates a vegetable also known as the stinking rose. The fragrant and potent root has been seasoning dishes for thousands of years.

• 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 Tutankhamun.
• 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.
• 1942 – During World War II, Russian soldiers used garlic, dubbed “Russian Penicillin,” to treat wounds when antibiotics were scarce.
• 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.
• Garlic is considered both a vegetable and an herb.
• Garlic is quite versatile, too. It is also used for medicinal purposes. The mighty bulb is considered an herbal remedy for colds and may help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Modern science has also proven garlic’s antibiotic properties.
• Myth and superstition reek of garlic. The most familiar one suggests that garlic wards off vampires. This same theory seemed to work on witches, werewolves, demons, and other such evils one might encounter.
• Folklore also tells us that garlic grew from satan’s left footprint when he left the Garden of Eden; Greek midwives kept evil spirits away with it, and courageous Roman soldiers who consumed the bulb.
• Only 5% of Americans have avoided kissing someone because they had garlic breath — and that doubles for people who don’t love garlic.
• Even though Americans love garlic, only 10% use it regularly — 15% prefer pre-minced garlic.
• To dream about garlic in the house suggests good luck, and if the dream includes eating garlic (perhaps in a pesto sauce), there might be hidden secrets.
• Over 300 varieties of garlic grow around the world to dream about as well!
• Gilroy, California, claims to be the Garlic Capital of the World. Will Rogers was once quoted as saying, “…the only place in America where you can marinate a steak just by hanging it out on a clothesline.”
• The pungent flavor of garlic is caused by a chemical reaction that occurs when the garlic cells are broken. The flavor is most intense shortly after cutting or chopping. This chemical reaction cannot occur after garlic is cooked, which is why smoked garlic is sweet and nutty rather than pungent.
• Garlic was 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 them on a stainless steel surface.
• The majority of garlic (90%) grown in the United States comes from California.
• If your rose garden is being attacked by aphids, an excellent home remedy is to spritz the leaves and blooms with a mixture of crushed garlic and water.
• The average person eats about 2 lbs of garlic each year.
• With the average clove weighing about 3 grams, 2 lbs of garlic are over 300 cloves.
• Garlic is a natural mosquito repellent
• If you’ve ever cut garlic, you’ve probably noticed the sticky residue the juice leaves on your hands. This actually works quite well as a bonding agent for small and delicate projects, like glass.
• Drinking lemon juice or eating a few lemon slices will help stop bad garlic breath.
• ‘Chicagaoua’ is a Native American word for a variant of wild garlic. It is this word from which the name Chicago derives!
• In Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula,’ garlic is mentioned 21 times. In all works of Shakespeare taken together, garlic has been mentioned only 4 times!
• Plan a costume-themed party, where guests dress up as their favorite garlic-related character (fictional or otherwise), such as these:
  • Dracula, the vampire in Bram Stoker’s fictional tales, who is warded off when a character wears a wreath of garlic to keep her safe
  • Werewolf, another character which folklore reveals to be kept away by garlic
  • Garlic Junior, anime fans know this is a fictional demon that appears in Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone
  • Greek Olympic Athletes, in ancient times, these athletes were expected to eat a lot of garlic in order to improve their performance
  • Roman Soldiers, ancient guards and soldiers were rumored to have used garlic to give them courage and inspiration

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Mobile-Cuisine

Just Fun Facts

Basta Pasta MD

SC Garlic

Facts Legend

National Today

Days of the Year