National Garlic Day is celebrated in France
Observed annually on April 19, National Garlic Day celebrates the humble garlic. Also called a stinking rose and part of the lily family, it is a much loved and regularly used ingredient in French cooking.
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Garlic, France and French food
When someone says garlic you may think of France or French food and that's because it is as French a vegetable as you can get. Available at most fresh food markets throughout France it is readily used in French cooking and a staple addition to many meals.
Fresh garlic market stall at Uzès
Did you know there are two main categories of garlic, that is, hard neck and soft neck garlic? There are different colours and sizes, regional varieties and even whole smoked garlic bulbs available in France. France produced over 21,000 tonnes of garlic in 2016 and the figure keeps growing.
The lily family also includes onions, leeks and shallots. While garlic originated in Asia over 7,000 years ago, it is used in a variety of cuisines including French. It's also used for medicinal purposes and is considered a herbal remedy for colds. Garlic is also thought to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. Modern science has proven garlic’s antibiotic properties.
Related recipe: Try this delicious Mussels in White Wine & Garlic Recipe
Fresh garlic market stall at Rennes
Myths Surrounding Garlic
Now there are a few myths and superstitions surrounding garlic and as you can imagine they are quite unique, as I feel the garlic is also. The most well known myth is that garlic wards off vampires. If you believe this myth, then you'll also believe that garlic works the same in warding off witches, werewolves, demons and other such evils.
According to folklore garlic grew from Satan’s left footprint when he left the Garden of Eden and in slightly more recent times Greek midwives used the bulb to keep evils spirits away.
Fresh garlic market stall at Vannes
Garlic is said to have given Roman soldiers courage to carry on when they ate the bulbs. You probably could have smelt the soliders entering your town before you saw them with the wind blowing! Even dreaming about garlic is supposed to bring good luck for your household.
So when next at a French food market see if you can find the garlic sellers' stall and pick up a bunch of this humble but very French vegetable.
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