National Garlic Day 2021: Significance, Fun Facts And Bizarre Superstitions Around The Herb

Garlic has a special place in popular food culture owing to its unique and versatile nature. The herb belongs to the lily family, which also includes onions, leeks, and shallots. However, garlic stands out as it can give any dish a boost of aroma. Alternatively known as the stinking rose, garlic also serves as a medicinal herb that is used to treat a number of ailments, including high blood sugar and cholesterol. Modern science has also proved that garlic has antibiotic properties, how cool is that?

National Garlic Day is celebrated on April 19 every year to acknowledge the health benefits of including garlic in our diet.

What Is The Significance Of National Garlic Day?

Garlic is native to Central Asia and northeastern Iran.

The introduction of the flavorful bulb in the food culture dates back more than 5000 years when wild garlic was predominantly used in cuisines. During the Renaissance era, the herb was categorized as peasant food and was largely undermined due to being a root dug up straight from the ground. It wasn’t until the 19^th century that the powerhouse of fragrance came to be noticed by skilled chefs. The herb has since become a quintessential part of Mediterranean, Italian, and French cuisines.

Fun Facts About Garlic: (Courtesy: Greetingcardpoet.com)

Around 46 billion pounds of garlic is produced around the year, 2/3 of which comes from China
The sticky juice of garlic is used to prepare glue.
Garlic is a natural mosquito repellant.

Some Bizarre Myths Related To Garlic That People Believed For Ages:

Garlic Wards Off Vampires: Greek midwives used garlic to keep evil spirits at bay because it was believed that the herb was born out of the left footprint of Satan when he left the Garden of Eden.

Garlic Boosts Power: Roman soldiers believed garlic boosts chivalry and therefore felt more courageous after consuming the herb.

Dreaming Of Garlic Means Good Luck: It is believed that if someone dreams of garlic, he is in for good luck and prosperity in the coming years.