Garlic not likely to make you tear up like its cousin onions

“Does garlic make you cry like onions do?” asked a student volunteer at the Fremont Township Community Garden last summer as he was shucking the papery outer husk from garlic bulbs.

Garlic is a flavor hero. It sprouts as a skinny green stalk and, like a firework, buds into a star of tiny white or purple flower sprigs. The delicate flowers actually reverse the potency of garlic, leaching energy and life from the segmented bulb. Garlic is an indispensable flavor maker in foods from all corners of the world. It strengthens savory stews, bolsters delectable sauces, and front loads nutty flavor into recipes.

Page through famous works of literature and there's garlic. Homer wrote about it in the 8th century B.C. in his epic poem “The Odyssey.” It's mentioned in the Bible. Garlic's use as a food goes back to prehistory. In the early years, garlic and onions were main features, not the side vegetables that add spice to entrees today. Garlic was considered a performance enhancer in Ancient Greece and fed to Olympians to improve their athletic skills.

The properties found in garlic have been recognized for their healing properties since ancient times. In Ancient Egypt garlic was indicated as a remedy for tumors and other illnesses. Two thousand years later, researchers are studying garlic's potential as an anti-cancer agent and as a way to help patients with lingering Lyme disease.

Onions, leeks, chives, shallots and garlic are vegetables that come from the allium family. Cut into an onion and you might sprout tears. As you slice, an irritating chemical mists into the air and can settle in tear ducts. Garlic does not create tears, but it has the strongest flavor of the allium bunch.