What are the nutritional advantages of the various types of garlic? Sprouting doubles the nutritional benefits. When it comes to sprouting, most people think “it’s inedible”. However, sprouted garlic is edible as long as the cloves themselves are not moldy or discolored. Studies have found that sprouted garlic has a higher antioxidant effect than fresh garlic. When you peel the sprouted garlic, you will see the green shoots of garlic produced in the middle. Once the green shoots grow out of the garlic cloves, they are the green leafy vegetable called garlic scapes. If you place garlic shoots in a dish with water, it not only brings the beauty of greenery to your kitchen, but also replaces green onions as a condiment. When you plant the garlic plants in the soil and continue to grow, the leaves grow and are called green garlic. Those who are not used to eating garlic cloves can eat garlic scapes directly, which have more vitamin content than garlic cloves and also have some antiseptic power. Fermented black garlic has a good taste. After fermentation to make black garlic, the water content of garlic will be reduced by about 50%, the sugar and amino acid will be increased significantly, and the B vitamin content will be increased. The color of garlic changes from white to black because of the “Merad reaction” after long time fermentation and heat preservation. At this time, the allicin is degraded, and the fructose is decomposed to produce fructose, which enhances the sweetness, so the black garlic has a sweet taste and no longer has a pungent taste. However, there is no need to take seriously the rumors that “black garlic can lower three highs” and “black garlic can improve immunity”, as it is difficult to achieve these effects if the amount of black garlic eaten daily is not large. Pickled garlic promotes digestion. Garlic pickling is a traditional practice in the north, and garlic in Chinese and sweet and sour is a favorite practice. It retains all the minerals in garlic, and largely eliminates the spicy taste of garlic, although its bactericidal effect is reduced compared to raw garlic. Studies have found that the extract of sweet and sour garlic contains antioxidant activity and has an inhibitory effect on cancer cells. Home made sweet and sour garlic should be soaked in brewing vinegar, and it will taste better if a little sugar is added. The garlic will turn green after soaking, which is harmless and also has some antioxidant effect. Both preparations have antiseptic and digestive properties and are good to eat with meat. Raw is the most healthy. Garlic is known to be antiseptic and has an appetizing and digestive effect. Whole garlic contains allicin and alliinase, and when garlic is crushed, these two components interact to produce allicin, which is the main source of garlic’s unique pungent flavor. In addition, garlic is high in the trace element selenium, and moderate intake of selenium has an auxiliary anti-cancer effect. Crushed raw garlic can effectively retain allicin and kill bacteria and viruses. However, garlic itself is pungent and should not be eaten raw more than 2~3 cloves per day. People with stomach ulcers, diarrhea or those who are taking medication should not eat it. Eat stewed to remove odor. When making soup or stewing meat, especially pork belly and large intestine, many people are used to put in a few cloves of garlic, which can play a role in removing the odor of the ingredients. Garlic first sautéed, then stir-fried with other ingredients, and then stewed with water. After stewing, the odor of the ingredients has been removed, the allicin has been decomposed after stewing, and the taste is not spicy and even sweet. This is because the spicy allicin is transformed into a sweet sulfur-containing substance, which increases the fresh sweetness of the soup. At this point, garlic is used as a condiment and there is no need to consider issues such as vitamin loss after long stewing. Grilling to remove the spicy flavor. Cumin garlic and charcoal-grilled garlic have a charred exterior and a tender interior, and the taste is sticky and soft. The garlic from the barbecue has almost no spicy taste, and the breath does not stink after eating, which is very popular among young people. However, after high-temperature barbecue, the allicin in garlic disappears and loses its antiseptic effect, but it retains its mineral content. When grilling, be sure to grill with garlic skin, and the fire should not be too high, otherwise the garlic will be burnt easily and carcinogenic substances will be produced. Stir-fry and stir-fry the pot with sufficient fragrance. Allicin is very “heat-shy” and once it encounters high temperature processing, the sterilizing effect will be greatly reduced. Therefore, you cannot expect the garlic in a stir-fry to help kill harmful bacteria. However, garlic has a strong aroma when fried, especially when it brings a gourmet feel to vegetable ingredients. Compared to green onions, garlic requires a higher oil temperature to produce its aroma, and usually tastes best when the garlic granules are browned. However, high oil temperatures can also cause the garlic to scorch, producing toxic substances and affecting the quality of the finished dish.