Allium Sativum

By Volodymyr Kish

If you are a fan of Ukrainian cuisine, then you are undoubtedly both familiar with and an appreciator of that staple ingredient known as garlic or chasnyk in Ukrainian. I love garlic. There are few recipes in my repertoire that are not enhanced by the liberal application of garlic. Either as an added ingredient, or on its own, garlic is a true gift of God and nature.

Garlic, or Allium Sativum as it is known in scientific circles, has been eaten for as long ago as we have written records. Egyptian hieroglyphs testify to its use back to when the pyramids were first being erected thousands of years BC. The remains of garlic bulbs were found in King Tut’s tomb. Garlic is commonly mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman texts. In fact garlic use has been prevalent from historic through to modern times throughout Asia, the Middle East and most of Europe. Interestingly, one area where garlic did not seem to make a culinary dent was the British Isles. No doubt, that is also probably why British cuisine has never gained any particular note or fame.

The commercial variety of garlic that we commonly consume, Allium Sativum, is descendant from a variety of wild garlic Allium Longicuspis that originated in central and southwestern Asia. Through commercial trade as well as other propagative means its descendants have spread throughout the globe. There are several forms of wild garlic, Allium Vineale and Allium Canadense that are commonly found throughout North America. There are numerous sub-species of garlic that grow throughout Europe, including Ukraine.

Ukraine in fact, is the tenth largest producer of garlic in the world, with an annual production of some 157,400 metric tons, according to the latest UN statistics. By far the largest garlic producer is China, whose annual production of 13,664,069 metric tons accounts for 77% of the total world output. Canada, by comparison is a miniscule cultivator of garlic, with an annual production of only some 755 tons. Most of the garlic bought in Canada (68%) comes from China, with the United States also accounting for a small share of our market.

Regardless of origin, garlic has long been appreciated not only for its culinary, but also its medicinal properties as well. One of the primary components of garlic, allicin, is a proven antiseptic, antibiotic and anti-fungal agent. Medical studies have also shown that garlic can help reduce the accumulation of cholesterol in your blood vessels. It is high in Vitamin B, vitamin C and beneficial mineral content.

Frankly, regardless of all the possible nutritional and medicinal benefits that garlic has to offer, I like it because it tastes great and is immensely versatile. I have fond memories of sitting under a tree in Hryts’ back yard in Pidkamin, drinking vodka and nibbling on raw garlic cloves accompanied by salt and dark, heavy rye bread. It was simple and a pure gastronomic delight!

I use garlic widely and frequently. I make a delectable pesto sauce that consists of only four basic ingredients – basil, garlic, walnuts and olive oil, married in a blender to a delicious consistency that works well with any pasta. Blending garlic, egg yolks and olive oil produces aioli, a versatile dip that is unbeatable. Any kind of bread is made better by the addition of garlic butter, particularly a good soft rye bread. Almost all soups, stews and casseroles are significantly enhanced by adding garlic.

One point I am keen to make is that most recipes in the majority of cookbooks are absolutely wimpy when it comes to garlic. When I read instructions that suggest adding 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, I laugh and typically triple or quadruple such suggestions. Such recipes are usually geared for lowest common denominator tastes and not meant for lovers of garlic, which most Ukrainians are.

The popularity and consumption of garlic has been steadily increasing within Canada, no doubt spurred by the significant multicultural population in this country. There are now annual garlic festivals being held each year throughout Ontario. For 2013, there are garlic festivals being held in Perth on August 10, in Sudbury on August 25, in Stratford on September 7, and in Toronto on September 22. At these, you may run across some unusual and interesting garlic products including garlic ice cream, garlic cough syrup, garlic chocolate chip cookies, garlic soup, garlic chocolate mole sauce, and garlic French fries. I am willing to give anything with garlic a try!