Garlic

Garlic is a plant grown for its sharp-tasting bulb, which is used to season foods. Some plants related to garlic, including the onion, also have strong flavors. The garlic bulb consists of parts called cloves. The cloves may be eaten or used for planting. A brittle, papery covering called a tunic grows around each clove and around the whole bulb.

Garlic bulb
Garlic bulb

The garlic plant is native to central Asia. It has served as an important crop since ancient times, and countries around the world cultivate the plant. China produces most of the world’s garlic crop. Other leading producers include Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Russia, and South Korea. Farmers from many countries plant garlic in late fall or early winter. The bulbs then mature in the summer. Farmers cure the harvested bulbs by letting them dry in the field. After curing, workers braid or remove the bulb tops, and the garlic is ready for market.

People may sell garlic bulbs whole, dehydrated, or ground into powder. Some manufacturers extract and sell juice from the bulbs.