Every time we go to our favorite Italian restaurant we can smell the delicious garlic from down the block and our mouths already start to water. Garlic is one of the best tasting (and strongest smelling) ingredients. It goes with almost every kind of cuisine, from Italian to Moroccan to Vietnamese to Peruvian.

Many cultures use garlic in their cuisine not only for the powerful flavor, but also because of the health benefits. Garlic is thought to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol. It is also antimicrobial, meaning it fights off viruses, molds, and bacteria. Garlic also helps the absorption of iron and zinc. Aside from this, garlic is itself high in manganese, selenium, and vitamins B and C. As if the flavor wasn’t enough, now that’s more reason to love garlic!

When choosing garlic bulbs, you want ones that are large and firm. Avoid anything with broken sheaths. Store garlic in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Do you use garlic in a lot of your meals?
picture from buzzle.com