CHINESE GARLIC: A PHOTO OF WHAT IT IS, YOU CAN EAT OR NOT, IS IT USEFUL AND HARMFUL, DANGEROUS OR NOT, WHY IS IT GREEN, AND HOW TO DISTINGUISH IT FROM RUSSIAN?

Very often Chinese garlic can be found on the shelves of many stores, which looks unusually white, and sometimes it even turns out to be germinated, and therefore its taste should not be compared with the taste of the crop that is grown on a home garden bed or purchased in a store from domestic farmers.

But thanks to low prices, buyers prefer the culture brought to us from China. You can find out more about the advantages and disadvantages of this imported vegetable and what precautions you need to follow when using it, see this article.

What it is?

Chinese garlic (dzhusay, Chinese onion) - a plant belonging to the onion family, is used as a vegetable (garlic), and its flowers are used as seasoning in food. Also, the use of this culture is very popular in Chinese traditional medicine.

Have you heard of black and wild garlic? About how to use them, as well as recipes for cooking with them, read our articles.

Appearance

This sort of garlic differs from others in its round shape and the absence of a rod in the head, which is a distinctive feature of the spring species, therefore, it is referred to as such. The teeth, of which the head is composed, are distinguished by a smooth and smooth surface, have a white color, sometimes smoothly turning into a light purple hue at the edges, which indicates their youth and strength.

The difference is that during its growth Chinese garlic has a greenish tint, which at the time of its full ripening disappears, and the garlic becomes white.

What does the photo look like?

We suggest to get acquainted with the photo of Chinese garlic.

How to distinguish brought from China from Russia?

On store shelves the culture attracts attention with its clean and fresh appearance, without signs of rot or any mechanical damage, while the domestic does not have such an attractive appearance, and therefore the demand for it is less. This is the main difference between imported and Russian cultures.

So, winter varieties that were harvested in July, already in November, lose their outward beauty: they begin to shrink or germinate gradually. The same situation with the spring: by mid-March, they lose their presentation. In detail about how winter garlic differs from spring garlic, read here, and from this article you will learn about the 6 best frost-resistant types of this vegetable and recommendations for its cultivation and care.

The external attractiveness of Chinese garlic is due to the low content of essential oils and the high level of dry substances in it, and that is why its fast drying does not occur. Also, this imported culture can be purchased at any time of the year and at a low price, which cannot be said of the Russian, the quality of which, it is worth noting, is much higher.

A smaller amount of essential oils in Chinese garlic does not mean that it contains less nutrients than domestic.

Good and bad: can you eat it or not?

What is harmful and dangerous?

Garlic imported from China has the following disadvantages:

Garlic from China cannot be called safe, because when it is grown on Chinese farms, various harmful pesticides are used, which are illegal in many countries. All this is done in order to increase profits and reduce labor that must be spent on "production".
The soil of garlic farms in China is also a special cause for concern, because according to the reports of scientists after analyzes conducted there, it became clear that it was mixed with arsenic, cadmium and other harmful substances.
The water in the rivers of China also makes one worry: it is polluted with household waste and harmful chemicals that get there during the active work of industrial enterprises.

That is why it is recommended to buy garlic from local farmers or any other grown in Russia, but the best thing is to plant it in the home garden by yourself, because only then you can be sure of its quality and exceptional benefits that its use will bring told here, and from this article you will learn about the nuances of caring for winter garlic, its diseases and feeding features.

Useful or not?

Despite the above growing disadvantages, Chinese garlic is useful, but less so than Russian.

It can also help lower cholesterol, prevent some of the symptoms of diabetes, and will be very helpful in case of hypertension.

When eating Chinese garlic in food should be careful. It is necessary to observe the rate of eating garlic for food, the excess of which is fraught with nausea, headache, skin irritation, by the way, as well as with excessive use of any other varieties of this culture.

Why is it green?

During the canning or cooking of any dishes, the hostesses cautiously note that the garlic turns green and blue, and then get rid of spoiled products, because This does not inspire confidence in them and even scares them, but, in turn, scientists have found the cause of this phenomenon and provided a simple explanation. When the integrity of garlic is violated, its essential oils go outside and enter into various reactions with the environment in which they are located. Most often this happens when pickling or canning vegetables, which can also stain.

The main substance responsible for color change is allyl sulfide cysteine sulfoxide, or just alliin. In the course of such reactions alliin breaks down into sulfates and sulfides. Thiol, pyruvic acid and ammonia are formed from the first, and special pigments appear from the second, due to which garlic takes on non-standard colors.

In this case, all used garlic does not have to be stained. The intensity of the color or its presence depends on the degree of ripeness of garlic, the temperature at which the reaction took place, the high content of amino acids in the medium. Therefore, the probability of young garlic to become extremely small than that of the "older"

If we consider Chinese garlic, it is worth noting that China is located to the south than our country, and therefore the crop has time to ripen to its maximum, and by this time a large amount of substances (mainly alliina) accumulate in it, due to which staining occurs . This simple explanation is the reason for such a strange change in the color of not only Chinese garlic, but also of any other varieties, when used in cooking, canning and marinating.

Appearing green or blue colors do not mean that garlic has suddenly become poisonous or harmful, so it can be safely consumed without any harm to the body.

Despite a number of contraindications, garlic is used to treat many diseases. But we must remember that after eating this vegetable there is an unpleasant smell from the mouth and hands, as well as an allergic reaction. Tips on how to properly use garlic, to avoid unpleasant consequences, you will find in separate articles on our portal.

Undoubtedly Chinese garlic, appearing in stores before the Russian, attracts buyers. But it is important to know that its use can be harmful, therefore it is worthwhile to observe the norm, and even better - to grow this crop on your own to be sure of its safety.