Garlic

Garlic is a small white bulb made of pieces called cloves. Each clove is wrapped in thin, papery skin. Garlic is part of the onion family and has a very strong smell and taste. Cooks all over the world use it to make food taste better.

How Garlic Grows

Garlic grows under the ground from a single clove planted in the soil. In a few months, that one clove grows into a whole bulb with many cloves inside. Above the ground, the plant has tall green leaves. Farmers pull the bulbs out of the dirt when the leaves start to turn brown. China grows more garlic than any other country.

Garlic in History

People have used garlic for over 5,000 years. The ancient Egyptians gave it to the workers who built the pyramids. Greek athletes ate garlic before the first Olympic games to help them run faster. In the Middle Ages, people thought garlic could keep them from getting sick. It is still used in cooking and medicine today.

Fun Facts

• Eating parsley after garlic can help get rid of bad breath.
• Garlic is sometimes called the 'stinking rose.'
• April 19 is National Garlic Day in the United States.

Did You Know?

Garlic can grow a new plant if you put a single clove in dirt. One clove can turn into a whole new bulb with many more cloves inside.