Page 36 - DIVA_No.23_2006

Vampires, stay home!

centuries ago, when the Garlic gets its English name
Its taste and smell are unmis-
Israelites were wandering from the old word "gar"
takable and unique. And it is
across the Sinai Desert they meaning spear (referring to
known to have both culinary
dreamt of "the fish, which we the shape of its leaves) and
and medicinal effects.
did eat in Egypt freely; the "lic" which is the same word
Folklore abounds with
cucumbers, and the melons, as leek. So "spear-leek"
accounts of its beneficial
and the leeks, and the onions, would be the modern transla-
effects against sorcerers, and the garlick." The tion. Leek has plenty of paral-
werewolves, warlocks—and, Israelites had, of course, lels for "onion-type" words in
of course, vampires. Garlic
acquired a taste for garlic other languages right across
(Allium sativum) has remark-
while living among the Northern Europe. The com-
able qualities. Egyptians. It was the Greek mon origin of these words
historian Herodotus who comes from an Indo-
There are many countries informed us that the workers European verbal root leug,
where it would be difficult to
who built the pyramids were meaning "bend" or "turn",
imagine food without garlic.
fed on vast quantities of probably referring to the habit
In our days, it is only onions, radishes and garlic. of the leaves which fall over
Northern Europeans who Even Tutankhamen's tomb when the bulb is ripe.
seem to loathe the odour on
contained garlic.
the breath of garlic eaters, Nature has ingeniously
even many hours after they In classical Latin, garlic was packed a chemical factory in
consume it. There is no fool- termed allium, which is still garlic. It contains a collection
proof remedy against it, but the botanical name for the of aroma compounds that
eating chopped parsley, drink- genus (leeks, shallots, onions were probably developed by
ing milk, hot showering and and chives). The origin of this the plant to protect it from
excessive tooth brushing
word is not known. Most con- predators, such as grazing
might have some effect. temporary Romance lan- animals or even soil-born
guages have names for garlic organisms. Its chief use is as a
It is believed that the plant that derive from allium: e.g. culinary herb whose unique
originated in the Kirghiz Italian aglio, French ail, flavour is now indispensable
region of Central Asia, Provençal alo, Spanish ajo, in the modern kitchen. It is
although no wild form is Galician allo and Portuguese also perfectly easy to grow
known. Garlic has been culti-
aiho. The botanical species from the buiblets, although
vated in the Mediterranean
name sativus means "cultivat- the seed is now infertile.
countries since the earliest ed". Garlic is now cultivated
times. Already, thirty-five
throughout the world.
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