Allium sativum
It is the ingredient that inspires much lore. Thought to originate from Central Asia, ancient Egyptian, Greek, Indian and Chinese writings make mention of garlic. It has both been used as a culinary and medicinal herb by these ancient civilisations and has since then been spread the world over.Buddhists, Jains, high-born Hindus and Brahmins, however, regarded garlic highly as a medicinal remedy but avoided eating it due to its strong odour. Buddhist monks forbade it too, for its capacity to stimulate strong passions.

Garlic, of course, is known to regulate cholesterol and hypertension. It is also an effective remedy for toothache, digestive disorders and intestinal parasites. With its antiseptic properties, it helps heal wounds and fungal infections.

Botanically, garlic is a member of the lily family (Liliaceae) which includes, onions, leeks and shallots. The name ‘garlic’ is derived from the Anglo-Saxon ‘garleac’ which refer to the pointed leaves (gar=spear, leac=a plant).

In the Philippines, bauang specifically refers to garlic but in other Malay languages, it may refer to bulbs since ‘bauang’ in Bahasa refers to onions while garlic is called ‘bauang putih’.