The garlic is a very old crop which is cultivated for its bulb, formed in the base of the leaves. It is highly appreciated in cooking for its pungent and characteristic taste, mainly used in the Mediterranean cooking. It has multiple medicinal properties, thanks to the sulphured substances contained in it.

Garlic has been given medicinal properties since the Egyptians times. There exist various traditional recipes to treat depression, hypertension or even to cure warts.

The garlic is a very old crop which is cultivated for its bulb, formed in the base of the leaves. It is highly appreciated in cooking for its pungent and characteristic taste, mainly used in the Mediterranean cooking. It has multiple medicinal properties, thanks to the sulphured substances contained in it.

Garlic is a very old crop that has been consumed since VI B.C. The plant belongs to the family of Liliaceous, and its scientific name is Allium sativum. It is cultivated for its bulb, formed in the base of the leaves, that may weigh up to 200g. This bulb or head is made up of small segments (cloves), in variable number from 2 to 10, wrapped in covers that protect them. The colour of these covers ranges from white to pink, being a characteristic to distinguish between two varietal types of garlic.

Although in the antiquity it was highly appreciated for its medicinal properties, at present time it is mainly used as seasoning. It is used in multiple dishes such as ‘ajada gallega’, ‘alioli’ sauce, ’ajo blanco malagueño’, Basque ‘zurrkutuna’, etc. They are also harvested when green to eat them as tender garlic. This garlic is sown at the same time as the others, but it is harvested at the beginning of the bulb formation. These plants are characterised by their strong aroma. They are chiefly appreciated in the South of Europe for its pungent taste. We obtain many by-products from garlic, like garlic oil, from the distillation of chopped garlic, and dehydrated garlic.

Garlic hardly has nutritious value. Although it supplies vitamins like C, B1 and B3, and minerals like potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium, its value lies in different sulphured substances, among which the main one is allicin. All these substances bring along some benefits for the organism, since they act at a stomach and intestine level, removing injurious bacteria, and in the digestive apparatus, since garlic is disinfectant and expectorant. It is also beneficial for blood circulation, reducing the pressure.

Garlic (Allium sativum) belongs to the family of Liliaceous. It is cultivated for its edible bulb, formed in the base of the leaves.

The garlic roots are white, numerous and hardly branched. The stem has a disc shape and it lays just over the roots. When the garlic is harvested, the disc has hardened, forming a callus underneath the cloves.

The flat and somewhat gutter-like leaves are placed under the disc. The axillary buds over them swell, forming the garlic cloves (between 2 and 10), surrounded by covers (coloured or uncoloured) that protect them. The joint of the disc, teeth and covers is called garlic bulb, or commonly head.

From the terminal bud of the disc arises the flower stem, at the end of which we find the flowers, arranged in umbels. Not all the varieties bloom; those that do bloom form few flowers, normally of a pink colour.