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Garlic
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Identity Card
Product: Garlic
Category: Plant from the Liliaceae family
Where it is grown: Throughout Italy
How it is eaten: Raw and cooked |
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Closely related to the onion (Allium cepa), scallion (Allium ascalonium) and leek (Allium porum), garlic (Allium sativum) is an indispensable ingredient of many dishes featured in Italian cuisine. It is also well known for its many beneficial properties, which have been of great interest to the medical community ever since ancient times (its ability to counter the effects of hypertension is especially appreciated). I
n the kitchen garlic is featured in many fried preparations, serving as an indispensable ingredient for delicious sauces and gravies. It can also be used for flavoring olive oil by finely chopping a few cloves and leaving them to soak in the oil for a few weeks. Using the same technique, you can also flavor vinegar, whereas in the case of salt, all you have to do is mix some of it with pulverized garlic (nine parts salt to one part of garlic). These latter practices, however, are increasingly less common.
People who like strong flavors will enjoy trying some garlic soup. One of the most popular ways of preparing this delicacy involves boiling a healthy quantity of fresh garlic in meat stock and, once it has finished cooking, adding egg yolk and sweet cream. Numerous sauces feature garlic as the main ingredient, frequently in combination with mayonnaise. In the case of first courses, one of the great classics is without a doubt Spaghetti "aglio, olio e peperoncino" (Spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and red pepper): a delicious treat that is easy to fix and suitable for any occasion. Garlic adds flavor to a number of second-course dishes, as well. All you have to do is blend together some garlic and basil to obtain an excellent condiment for sautéing things like chicken breast or tender pork loin. In certain cases garlic is cooked "in camicia", i.e. whole and with its skin in order to attenuate the flavor and make it easier to remove the garlic before bringing the finished dish to the table. In order to obtain the best results in terms of aroma and flavor, it's always best to use fresh garlic.
People who prefer practical, time-saving measures may want to use garlic powder, which will keep its flavor longer if you avoid storing the container where it is exposed to light or near sources of heat. A rule of thumb, for that matter, that should be observed for all spices. Garlic may prove to be hard to digest due to a substance found in its flavorful cloves: allicine. A problem that can be partially solved by being sure to remove the central, greenish sprout from the cloves.
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