Garlic is a bulbous perennial food plant of the family Alliaceae. The word comes to us from Old English gārlēac, meaning "spear leek".

also see: Garlic Recipes

The bulb has a strong and characteristic odor and an acrid taste, and when pure yields an offensively smelling oil, essence of garlic, identical with allyl sulphide (C6H10S2). Garlic is widely used in many forms of cooking for its strong flavor, which is considered to enhance many other flavours. Depending on the form of cooking and the desired result, the flavor is either mellow or intense. It is often paired with onion and tomato.

When eaten in quantity, garlic may be strongly evident in the diner's sweat the following day. The well-known phenomenon of "garlic breath" can be alleviated by eating fresh parsley and this is included in many garlic recipes. Because of its strong odor, garlic is sometimes called the "stinking rose".

Garlic (Allium sativum)