A native of Europe and Central Asia, garlic was well-known to ancient Egyptians way back in 2600 BC. Along with onion, garlic was fed to thousands of tired and famished workers engaged in the gruelling task of building the great pyramid of Cheops. Garlic is a hardy bulbous annual, with narrow flat leaves a pungent and acid flavour and acknowledged medicinal value.

Like onion, the entire bulb ('cloves') is almost without odour but, once cut or bruised, they produce an intensely strong and characteristic odour. Garlic is used in vegetable, meat and poultry dishes, especially in casserole,stew and marinade. A favourite in Chinese cuisine, garlic is fast becoming popular in Europe and USA. Garlic oil finds use in ready made spice - mixes, pharmaceuticals and disinfectants.

Garlic is cultivated in most parts of India. some of the internationally acclaimed varieties of Indian garlic are 'Poona', 'Nasik', 'Madurai', and 'Jamnagar'. Besides garlic powder and dehydrated flakes, India also exports oil and oleoresin with all constituents intact but without its pungent odour.