Garlic History and Origin

The name garlic dates back to the time when Old English was spoken, and it is translated as spear leek. It is however known that garlic originates from Central Asia and from there made its way all over the world. Garlic dates as far back as 6000 years and was mainly used for medicinal and culinary purposes, even though some cultures perceived garlic as being spiritual with supernatural powers. It is also said that the Ancient Egyptians fed their slaves with garlic to increase their strength and ability to work harder.

Interestingly, garlic was almost exclusively found among ethnic minority cultures in the United States until the 1940's, where it suddenly gained in popularity and has since then been a major ingredient in many recipes.