A garlic clove is one of the small segments that make up a garlic bulb. Each clove is wrapped in a thin, papery skin, and the cloves grow packed tightly together inside the bulb’s outer wrapper. Garlic has been grown and cooked with for thousands of years, mainly because of its strong flavour.
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Nutrition basics
Garlic is used in small amounts, so it adds flavour with very few calories. It contains compounds such as allicin, which forms when a clove is chopped or crushed and which researchers have studied in laboratories. Like other vegetables and alliums, it can sit comfortably inside a varied, balanced eating pattern.
Garlic in the kitchen
Raw garlic is sharp and pungent, so it is usually used sparingly in dressings, dips and marinades. Cooking softens and sweetens it: whole or sliced cloves are fried gently at the start of sauces, soups, stews and roasts. Garlic burns easily, and burnt garlic tastes bitter, so it is normally cooked over a moderate heat and not left unattended.
Buying and storing garlic
Choose bulbs that feel firm and heavy, with dry, papery skins and no soft spots or green shoots. Store whole bulbs somewhere cool, dry and airy, away from direct sunlight; a sealed plastic bag traps moisture and shortens their life. Once a bulb is broken open, use the remaining cloves promptly, because they dry out faster than an intact bulb.
What garlic cannot do
Enjoy garlic as food, not as medicine. There is no reliable evidence that garlic prevents cancer or treats diabetes. Garlic can be part of a healthy eating pattern, but it is not a treatment for any disease and it does not replace medicine prescribed by a doctor. This matters most for serious conditions: asthma, for example, needs prescribed medical treatment, and home remedies must never replace inhalers or a doctor’s care.
This article is general information only and is not medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional for personal advice.