Garlic
Garlic is a bulb covered with white skin, which enclosing individual garlic cloves. Along with ginger, or scallion, garlic is regularly used to flavor oil before cooking in Chinese cuisine.
Types:
Softneck and hardneck garlic. Softneck one has a fibrous stem while the hardneck is hard, which has more flavor than the other.
Season:
Supermarket provide all kinds of garlic year-round.
Purchasing tips:
When purchasing softneck garlic, please look for bulbs that are firm, large, and plump with a tight and unbroken sheath. Choose neither shriveled, soft, or sprouted ones, nor skins with dampness and mould spots.
You may also find peeled garlic cloves stored in plastic bags or containers in any store, look for firm cloves with no shriveling and no mould spots or sprouts.
Storage:
Before storing, dry them well on kitchen papers, then store in a plastic bag and keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. You may also store the peeled ones in the container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Preparation and Usage:
1. Rub off the white skin, expose the inner garlic cloves, discard the hard core.
2. Then peel each clove till you get the white part. An easier way to peel the garlic is to smash each by the side of a cleaver.
3. Use the clove whole, sliced, smashed, or you can put them through the garlic press if you like.
Garlic is regularly used to flavor oil, you can saute them briefly until aromatic before you add ingredients.
Nutritional and Healthy Benefits:
Garlic is claimed to help prevent heart disease (including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure) and cancer.
Hot Recipes
Key in value & click anywhere outside the box to convert!