- Categories:
- Food & Beverage
- Tags:
- CookingHealthy FoodVegetable
- Where:
- United States
- Date change rule:
- Every April
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- 🧄
National Garlic Month celebrates the beloved allium throughout April, recognizing its pivotal role in global cuisines and traditional remedies. Dive into new recipes, explore different varieties, and share your favorite garlic-infused dishes with friends and family.
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Expected National Garlic Month Deals
Throughout National Garlic Month, expect grocery retailers and specialty food stores to feature promotions on fresh garlic, minced garlic, and gourmet garlic products. Brands like Christopher Ranch often offer discounts on their bulk garlic, while spice companies such as McCormick might highlight garlic powder and granulated garlic. Look for deals on garlic presses and other kitchen gadgets from retailers like Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table. Specialty grocers like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market typically showcase unique garlic-infused items, from black garlic to garlic spreads. Online meal kit services may also integrate garlic-heavy recipes into their weekly menus. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as April approaches.
Platform Guide for National Garlic Month
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #NationalGarlicMonth. Share vibrant photos of garlic-centric meals, cooking tips, or even your favorite garlic varieties.
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #NationalGarlicMonth. Film quick recipe tutorials, garlic peeling hacks, or taste tests of different garlic products.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #NationalGarlicMonth. Join cooking groups to share recipes, discuss health benefits, and post about local garlic festivals.
National Garlic Month Hero
Don Christopher
History of National Garlic Month
Garlic is widely assumed to have originated in Central Asia, somewhere near China. Around 2,000 years ago, the ancient Chinese used garlic for medicinal purposes, believing that it could cure a variety of ailments. It spread from China to neighboring Japan and Korea. Garlic was also used medicinally by the ancient Indians, who ground the plant into a paste and made a tonic out of it. This tonic was used to treat skin diseases, loss of appetite, rheumatism, hemorrhoids, and many other ailments. Because Indian priests were some of their society’s first doctors and pharmacists, these garlic treatments were accompanied by elaborate rituals, spells, and prayer ceremonies.
Garlic was thought to have life-giving properties by the ancient Egyptians, and its strong odor was thought to protect the pharaoh from evil spirits in the afterlife. Around 3200 B.C., it was introduced to Egypt via trade routes and traveling merchants. According to biblical accounts, Jewish slaves in Egypt were fed a garlic-rich diet to strengthen their bodies and make them more productive workers. The Talmud, a Jewish religious text, even recommended garlic consumption for the treatment of parasitic infections around the 2nd century A.D.
The Talmud went further to advise married couples to use garlic to aid in procreation. The Greeks shared the Egyptian belief in garlic’s performance-enhancing properties. Garlic was used to feed ancient Greek athletes, according to research findings. This was done to improve their athletic performance during Olympic competitions. Garlic is mostly used for cooking nowadays, but that doesn’t mean its numerous health benefits aren’t recognized. We now know that garlic is antimicrobial and antifungal, that it lowers the risk of heart attack, and that it contains allicin, a compound with numerous therapeutic properties.
National Garlic Month timeline
The ancient Chinese use garlic in many remedies, including for the treatment of depression.
Greek generals often fed their troops with garlic before major battles.
King Tutankhamun — the youngest of the pharaohs — is buried with garlic, symbolizing his soul’s patron and protector of his wealth in the afterlife.
Slavic people use garlic to repel lice, as well as a form of treatment for snake bites, spider bites, ulcers, and crusts.
How Businesses Can Celebrate National Garlic Month
Local restaurants can craft special garlic-themed menus or offer a ‘garlic flight’ featuring different preparations and varieties. Specialty food shops might host tasting events, showcasing gourmet garlic products and offering discounts on bulk purchases. Cooking schools can organize workshops on garlic cultivation, preservation, or global garlic-centric cuisines. Even non-food businesses can participate by sharing fun garlic facts on social media or sponsoring local food events.
National Garlic Month FAQs
When is National Garlic Month?
In 2027, National Garlic Month is celebrated all through April. It’s an entire month dedicated to appreciating the pungent, flavorful allium that enhances countless dishes worldwide.
How much garlic is consumed annually?
The average American consumes approximately two pounds of garlic per year, a figure that has steadily increased over recent decades. This reflects garlic’s growing popularity in home cooking and diverse restaurant cuisines across the U.S.
What are the health benefits of garlic?
Beyond its flavor, garlic has been used for centuries in traditional medicine. Modern research suggests it may help lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and possess antioxidant properties, making it a valuable addition to a healthy diet.
What are the different types of garlic?
Beyond hardneck and softneck, there are numerous sub-varieties like Rocambole, Porcelain, and Purple Stripe, each offering unique flavor profiles and growing characteristics. Black garlic, a fermented product, is another popular type with a sweet, umami flavor.
National Garlic Month Activities
Try out some garlic recipes
Garlic is so versatile. You can use it for meat or plant-based dishes. Crush it, mince it, or blend it into a marinade and slather it over everything. Don’t be afraid to get creative.
Grow your garlic
Why not grow garlic for your personal use? You can plant three or four cloves in a small pot. Water them lightly and place them on a sunny window ledge. You should have some garlic greens ready for snipping within a week or so.
Attend a garlic festival
At a garlic festival, you can join others in celebrating this wonderful food. A renaissance fair, state fair, cookout, or harvest festival will almost certainly have one.
5 Great Facts About Garlic
China is the biggest garlic producer
According to a study from 2012, China grows two-thirds of the world’s garlic, adding up to around 46 billion pounds every year.
Its name has Anglo-Saxon origins
Although garlic originated from Asia, the name comes from the Anglo-Saxon words ‘gar’ (‘spear’) and ‘lac’ (‘plant’), possibly a reference to the shape of a garlic plant’s leaves.
Garlic juice can make glue
Juice extracted from garlic cloves is used as a bonding agent for D.I.Y. projects involving sensitive materials like glass.
Garlic was issued to soldiers in WW2
Garlic was given to soldiers during World War ll as a form of medicine.
Garlic is a vegetable
Though it's commonly used and referred to as a herb or spice, botanically, garlic is a root vegetable in the same family as onions.
Why We Love National Garlic Month
Garlic makes everything better
Imagine a world with no garlic bread. Or garlic butter. Or garlic fries. We can’t imagine it either.
Garlic is a superfood
It’s packed with vitamins and nutrients. It’s low in calories too. You get lots of flavor without compromising your health.
Garlic smells amazing
Not on your breath of course. But the smell of garlic in the air is just delightful, and you get a whole 30 days of it during National Garlic Month.
Social Media Tips for National Garlic Month
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