Garlic

For other uses, see Garlic (disambiguation).

Garlic
Allium sativum, known as garlic, from William Woodville, Medical Botany, 1793.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Allioideae
Genus: Allium
Subgenus: A. subg. Allium
Species:
A. sativum
Binomial name
Allium sativum
Synonyms
Synonymy
  • Allium arenarium Sadler ex Rchb. 1830 not L. 1753
  • Allium controversum Schrad. ex Wild.
  • Allium longicuspis Regel
  • Allium ophioscorodon Link
  • Allium pekinense Prokh.
  • Porrum ophioscorodon (Link) Rchb.
  • Porrum sativum (L.) Rchb. 1830 not (L.) Mill. 1768

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive,[2] Welsh onion, and Chinese onion.[3] It is native to Central Asia, South Asia and northeastern Iran.[4][5] It has long been used as a seasoning and culinary ingredient worldwide, with a history of several thousand years of human consumption and use, including also use as a traditional medicine. It was known to ancient Egyptians[6] and other ancient cultures for which its consumption has had a significant culinary cultural impact, especially across the Mediterranean region and across parts of Asia.[7][8][9] It is produced globally but the largest producer is China which produced 73% of the world's supply of garlic in 2021. There are two subspecies and hundreds of varieties of garlic.

  1. ^ "Allium sativum L". Kewscience; Plants of the World Online; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  2. ^ Block, Eric (2010). Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and the Science. Royal Society of Chemistry. ISBN 978-0-85404-190-9.
  3. ^ "Substance Info: Garlic". All Allergy. Zing Solutions. Archived from the original on June 15, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  4. ^ "Allium sativum L." Plants of the World Online | Kew Science. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  5. ^ Block, Eric (2010). Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and the Science. Royal Society of Chemistry. pp. 5–6. ISBN 9780854041909.
  6. ^ Cherry, Robin (November 11, 2014). Garlic, an Edible Biography. Boston: Shambhala Publications. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-61180-160-6.
  7. ^ Pellechia, Thomas (2000). Garlic, Wine, and Olive Oil. Booklink. ISBN 978-0-88496-444-5.
  8. ^ Newman, Jacqueline (August 30, 2004). Food Culture in China. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-0-313-08572-7.
  9. ^ Cherry, Robin (November 11, 2014). Garlic, an Edible Biography. Boston: Shambhala Publications. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-61180-160-6.