Garlic comes from a lily-like plant, and is a cousin to similar-tasting onions, chives, leeks and scallions. The bouquet of garlic is harsh, penetrating and lasting. The whole [unchopped] clove has no aroma. Raw garlic's flavor is sharp and acrid, and can be overpowering if used to excess. Cooked garlic has a familiar, almost nutty, mellow flavor that makes it an important cornerstone of cuisines around the world.
Garlic has been cultivated for so long, that it is impossible to determine precisely its place of origin, though it is generally considered native to Asia. Garlic is recorded in Egypt from the earliest times and was eaten by the builders of the Pyramids, and ancient Greeks and Romans called it "The Stinking Rose," a name which endures today. Arab legend holds that garlic grew from the Devil's footprint as he left Eden. The most famous garlic folklore is its association with vampires [more Bram Stoker than Robert Pattinson, if you please].
Garlic is essential in the robust cookery of the Mediterranean region, is indispensable to Indian cookery and is widely used in China and South East Asia.
A small amount of garlic will 'lift' dishes of meat, fish and vegetables. Large amounts of garlic in French and Spanish aioli and Greek skordalia are powerful, delicious sauces. Garlic appears frequently in soups, salad dressings, pates, terrines, salamis and smoked spiced sausages. Pasta dishes often call for sauces flavored with garlic.
All our garlic products bring the delicious flavor of garlic to your cooking projects. Powdered, granulated, or minced, our garlic products are easy to use when cooking, full of flavor but will not spoil -- and will not leave a garlic smell on your fingers!
Finely textured **garlic powder** has a flour-like quality, blending invisibly into any recipe calling out for garlic flavor. Garlic powder makes smooth garlic butters for toasted breads and delicious marinades. 1/8 tsp is equal to one medium-sized garlic clove: 1 to 1-1/2 tsp equals one whole bulb.