Garlic is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive,and Chinese onion

Garlic is native to Central Asia and northeastern Iran, and has long been a common seasoning worldwide, with a history of several thousand years of human consumption and use.It was known to ancient Egyptians, and has been used both as a food flavoring and as a traditional medicine. In Ancient Rome, it was “much used for food among the poor”.China produces some 80% of the world’s supply of garlic. India lies a distant second to China.

Origin and major types

Allium sativum grows in the wild in areas where it has become naturalized. The “wild garlic”, “crow garlic”, and “field garlic” of Britain are members of the species Allium ursinum, Allium vineale, and Allium oleraceum, respectively. Identification of the wild progenitor of common garlic is difficult, due to the sterility of its many cultivars which may all be descended from the species Allium longicuspis, which grows wild in central and southwestern Asia. There are at least 120 cultivars originating from Central Asia, making it the main center of garlic biodiversity

In North America, Allium vineale (known as “wild garlic” or “crow garlic”) and Allium canadense, known as “meadow garlic” or “wild garlic” and “wild onion”, are common weeds in fields. So-called elephant garlic is actually a wild leek (Allium ampeloprasum), and not a true garlic. Single clove garlic (also called pearl or solo garlic) originated in the Yunnan province of China.

European garlic

Some garlics have protected status in Europe, including:

Subspecies and varieties

There are two subspecies of A. sativum ten major groups of varieties, and hundreds of varieties or cultivars.

• A. sativum var. ophioscorodon (Link) Döll, called Ophioscorodon, or hard-necked garlic, includes porcelain garlics, rocambole garlic, and purple stripe garlics. It is sometimes considered to be a separate species, Allium ophioscorodon G.Don.
• A. sativum var. sativum, or soft-necked garlic, includes artichoke garlic, silverskin garlic, and creole garlic.

Cultivation

Garlic is easy to grow and can be grown year-round in mild climates. While sexual propagation of garlic is possible, nearly all of the garlic in cultivation is propagated asexually, by planting individual cloves in the ground.In colder climates, cloves are planted in the autumn, about six weeks before the soil freezes, and harvested in late spring or early summer. The cloves must be planted deep enough to prevent freeze/thaw, which causes mold or white rot.

Garlic plants can be grown closely together, leaving enough space for the bulbs to mature, and are easily grown in containers of sufficient depth. Garlic does well in loose, dry, well-drained soils in sunny locations, and is hardy throughout USDA climate zones 4–9. When selecting garlic for planting, it is important to pick large bulbs from which to separate cloves.

Large cloves, along with proper spacing in the planting bed, will also increase bulb size. Garlic plants prefer to grow in a soil with a high organic material content, but are capable of growing in a wide range of soil conditions and pH levels.

There are different varieties or subspecies of garlic, most notably hard neck garlic and soft neck garlic. The latitude where the garlic is grown affects the choice of type, as garlic can be day-length sensitive. Hard neck garlic is generally grown in cooler climates and produces relatively large cloves, whereas soft neck garlic is generally grown closer to the equator and produces small, tightly-packed cloves.

Garlic scales are removed to focus all the garlic’s energy into bulb growth. The scales can be eaten raw or cooked.

Diseases

Garlic plants are usually hardy and not affected by many pests or diseases. Garlic plants are said to repel rabbits and moles.

However, pathogens that affect garlic are nematodes and wood-decay fungus, which remain in the soil indefinitely after the ground has become infected. Garlic may also suffer from pink root, a typically non-fatal disease that stunts the roots and turns them pink or red;leek rot; or downy mildew.

The larvae of the leek moth attack garlic by mining into the leaves or bulbs.

Production

  In 2016, world production of garlic was 26.6 million tonnes, with China alone accounting for 80% of the total. India was the second largest producer with 5% of world production followed by Bangladesh the third largest producer with 0.38% of the world production.

The United States – ranked 10th in global production of garlic – grows less than 1% of China’s production.Much of the garlic production in the United States is centered in Gilroy, California, which calls itself the “Garlic Capital of the World”.

Health benefits

1 Garlic is a plant in the onion family that’s grown for its distinctive taste and health benefits. It contains sulfur compounds, which are believed to bring some of the health benefits.

2 Garlic is low in calories and rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. It also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients.

3 Garlic supplements help prevent and reduce the severity of common illnesses like the flu and common cold.

4 High doses of garlic appear to improve blood pressure for those with known high blood pressure (hypertension). In some instances, supplements may be as effective as regular medications.

5 Garlic supplements seem to reduce total and LDL cholesterol, particularly in those who have high cholesterol. HDL cholesterol and triglycerides do not seem to be affected.

6 Garlic Contains Antioxidants That May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

7 Garlic Contains Antioxidants That May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

8 Garlic appears to have some benefits for bone health by increasing estrogen levels in females, but more human studies are needed.

9 Athletic Performance Might Be Improved with Garlic Supplements.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic