National Garlic Day
Today is National Garlic Day & to celebrate we’ll definitely be dipping our chips & onion rings in our tasty Garlic Mayo dip!
If you love garlic as much as we do, we thought you’d be interested to hear 10 facts about this wonderful ingredient…
1. Garlic is believed to ward off heart disease, cancer, colds, & flu. The consumption of garlic lowers blood cholesterol levels & reduces the build up of plaque in the arteries. (Where’s that Garlic Dip…we want another portion!)
2. The herb, which can also be deemed a vegetable too, is rich in protein, vitamins A, B-1 and C & contains essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium & iron. It also contains 17 different amino acids.
3. Dubbed the ‘stinking rose’ because of its overpowering taste & smell, garlic is known for causing bad breath, which apparently can be neutralized by sipping milk or eating parsley. (We think it’s worth having bad breath due to it’s great taste & medicinal qualities!)
4. Ironically, despite its illustrious reputation, the herb that causes garlic breath has also long been admired for its powers as an aphrodisiac. Legend has it that Tibetan monks were forbidden from entering monasteries if they had eaten garlic because of its reputation for arousing sexual desire. (…another portion please!)
5. Thanks to Hollywood & popular literature, we’re well aware of the myth that garlic deters vampires, but it’s also thought to protect against the evil eye & to ward off jealous nymphs said to terrorize pregnant women & engaged maidens.
6. The psychological term for fear of garlic is alliumphobia.
7. The smell of garlic can be removed by running your hands under cold water while rubbing a stainless steel object. (Useful tip to know next time we’re cooking!)
8. Garlic is a member of the onion family, which also includes leeks & shallots & its pungent flavor is due to a chemical reaction that occurs when the garlic cells are broken. The flavor is most intense just after mincing.
9. If your rose garden is being attacked by aphids, an excellent home remedy to get rid of them is to spritz the leaves & blooms with a mixture of crushed garlic and water.
10. Garlic has been used to infuse vodka & as an ingredient to make cocktails.
Wow! There’s some facts there that have definitely surprised us.
Happy Garlic Day everyone. We’re about to start giving our Garlic Cocktails a whirl…