Underrated superfood – wild garlic

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Those who haven't yet added wild garlic to their salads or made a pesto-like sauce with it should definitely take a closer look at this herb.

Everyone who has been involved in healthy eating for a long time is already accustomed to goji and acai berries, avocados and chia seeds, but our climate zone is also rich in very useful products. One of these plants is wild garlic, also called “bear's onion”. Its season, by the way, has already begun. This product is clearly underestimated. Wild garlic has much more useful properties than it might seem.

Wild garlic grows in Turkey, the Caucasus, the Far East and throughout Europe. Wild garlic is listed in the Red Books in many countries. But recently it has been cultivated as a garden plant, and for good reason. The plant is rich in vitamins B, A, C, E, PP. It is rich in iron, calcium, fluorine, iodine and zinc. Externally, wild garlic looks like a lily of the valley and tastes like delicate garlic. Leaves, stems and bulbs are commonly used in food. Wild garlic is eaten in almost any form: raw, fried, boiled, pickled, dried. In Bulgaria, samardala (dried wild garlic) is so popular that it stands on tables next to salt and pepper. Swiss archaeologists have established that it was consumed even five thousand years ago. In medieval medical treatises, it was recommended to eat it in order not to get infected with the plague and cholera. It is not surprising that in Germany, the city of Eberbach still holds the “Eberbach Wild Garlic Festival” every year.

Strengthens immunity

Due to the high content of vitamin C in wild garlic, almost twice as much as in lemons, it helps the body fight harmful bacteria.

Normalizes blood pressure

It has been proven that fresh wild garlic prevents the accumulation of harmful cholesterol in the blood. In ancient Rome, it was considered an excellent means for purifying the blood.

Improves the functioning of the digestive system

Wild garlic is rich in fiber, so it promotes good digestion. However, people with stomach and intestinal diseases should be careful with this spicy herb. Due to the fact that wild garlic contains essential oils and allicin, the plant not only becomes fragrant and spicy in taste, but also irritates the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. To reduce the negative effect, fresh wild garlic should be eaten with something fatty. For example, add vegetable oil to a salad with it. Wild garlic has one feature that those who are losing weight may consider a minus – it increases appetite.