Garlic, one of the indispensable flavors of Turkish cuisine, also provides countless benefits to the human body. However, the smell is unbearable. So why does garlic smell so bad? Let’s look at the bad smell of garlic from the perspective of science and see how to get rid of this smell.
If you were to cook a meal, there would definitely be a few cloves of garlic among the first ingredients you would prepare. Because this plant, dried and fresh, adds a completely different flavor to all our dishes. But unfortunately, sometimes we have to put this taste on the back burner because The smell of garlic is so strong and, according to some, such a bad smell that Even touching it can be annoying, let alone eating it.
So, have you ever thought about why garlic has such a pungent smell? The main reason for this smell is some of the components the plant has. Just as some of the ingredients it contains provide countless benefits to our body, Some of them cause such a strong odor. Let’s approach the garlic smell issue a little scientifically and see why it happens and how to get rid of it.
Let’s clear up the confusion first: Garlic or garlic?
The first work in which we encounter this plant is Dîvânu Lugâti’t-Türk, written by Kaşgarlı Mahmut in the 11th century. Here the plant is referred to as ‘garmusak’. However, the origin of the word is the word sarïmsak, which comes from the proto-Turkish root sāryg. According to the Turkish Language Association, garlic is the correct use. So using garlic is wrong.
We have been using garlic for thousands of years:
Although garlic is a plant native to Central Asia and Northeastern Iran, it grows in different species all over the world. Sumerian tablets dating back to 2600 – 2100 BC indicate that garlic was used. Garlic later passed to China via India in the 1st century BC and continued to be used for medicinal purposes.
Garlic, which is known to have been used in Egypt in a similar period, passed from there to Anatolia and to Europe after the Crusades. We also encounter the use of garlic in the Ottoman Empire. IV. Nasrullah’s son Salih, who served as Mehmet’s chief physician, mentions the benefits of consuming rose water by mixing it with garlic in a work he wrote in the 17th century.
So what exactly are the benefits of garlic?
- It strengthens our immunity.
- It fights against bacteria, fungi and parasites in our body.
- It balances blood pressure.
- It lowers blood sugar.
- It lowers cholesterol.
- It has a positive effect on liver health.
- When consumed regularly, it provides protection against some types of cancer.
- It reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
- It balances sex hormones.
- It strengthens the hair.
- Provides appetite control.
These are some of the benefits that garlic provides to the human body. Garlic is also phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, zinc, selenium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, manganese It is extremely rich in vitamins A, B and C, as well as minerals. So, it’s safe to say it’s a small healing tank.
Everything is fine, but why does garlic have such a strong smell?
Sulfur alliin is one of the main components of the garlic plant. All plants with sulfur components smell. But as if that wasn’t enough, there are also four more volatile compounds in garlic called diallyl disulfide, allyl mercaptan, allyl methyl disulfide and allyl methyl sulfide. When garlic is cut, crushed or similarly damaged, its main component, alliin, turns into aliicin. This is the main reason for the garlic smell.
In addition to its own smell, garlic also stinks our breath and gas. This is because, The allyl methyl sulphide it contains cannot be processed by the intestine and liver. This unprocessed substance causes an odor that lingers even 24 hours after eating garlic.
The reason why raw garlic smells more than cooked garlic is sulfur:
No matter how you consume raw garlic, it will cause odor due to the components it contains. However Garlic that has been cooked using different methods, that is, heat treated, will smell much less. Because the intense sulfur found in raw garlic decreases significantly when it is cooked, which reduces the smell.
It is possible to eliminate the smell of garlic in the mouth:
Regardless of whether it is fatty or non-fat, milk largely destroys the odor-causing components in garlic. Studies have shown that milk reduces the diallyl disulfide level in garlic by 95 percent. Whole milk also has an additional reducing effect on diallyl disulfide and allyl methyl disulfide due to its fat. It will be much more effective if you drink milk with garlic instead of drinking milk after eating garlic.
Other foods known to be good for garlic breath: It is possible to list mint, rosemary, thyme, parsley, lettuce, spinach, apple and lemon juice. You can use herbs fresh or dried. If you consume other plants raw without any heat treatment, you will see that they have an odor-reducing effect.
How can you get rid of the annoying smell of garlic on your hands?
It is much easier to remove the smell of garlic from your hands while chopping. Immediately cut a lemon into several pieces and squeeze its juice and rub your hands with it. When you wash your hands with cold water after waiting for a while, you will see that the garlic smell is largely gone. You can see a similar effect by rubbing your hands with dry Turkish coffee, but lemon is much more effective.
If you say the garlic smell in your house has gone everywhere, Put water, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice in a coffee pot and boil it. Its steam eliminates odors that permeate the house. Boiling bay leaves will have a similar effect. Although it is not certain, it is also said that placing a lit candle in the kitchen will be effective to combat the smell created when garlic is cooking.
The indispensable taste of Turkish cuisine Why does garlic smell so bad, how can you get rid of its smell? We answered frequently asked questions such as: If you make garlic a part of your diet, it will definitely have benefits in the long run, but be sure to consult a specialist.