Hill garlic

Garlic is the oldest cultivated, and it is also the second most widely used cultivated Allium after onion. It has been recognized as a valuable Spice for foods. It’s also a remedy for psychological disorders. ‘Hill garlic’ is a strong flavored Allium that has immense health benefits and medicinal properties.

• Family – Amaryllidaceae 
• Species – A.sativum 
• Genius – Allium 
• Kingdom – Plantae 

Hill garlic is referred to as ‘power food’ because it is loaded with immense Amounts of nutrients and healing properties. Adding garlic to our food can lower the risk of heart disease and certain kinds of cancer.

Hill garlic vs normal garlic 

The presence of higher amounts of Organosulfur compounds, Phenols, and flavonoids compared to other Garlic. Hill Garlic is not just a spice item. It has some unique features that distinguish it from other varieties produced. It has traced its chemical components and special qualities. Hill garlic has a cream colour, unlike the pure white of commonly cultivated varieties. It has growth periods of over five months. It can be reduced to 110 to 120 days using farm trips. This variety is endemic to the eastern side of the Western Ghats, India. Hill garlic is small but high in Aroma and flavour. 

Hill Garlic, registered with GI tag in India. 

Famous Hill garlic of Kodaikanal bagged the geographical indication tag. It has become a single agricultural product from the hill station of the south. Now, it would not let use the name ‘Hill Garlic’ for other varieties.  The department of biotechnology of Kodaikanal- based Mother Teresa women university and Tamil Nadu state council for science and technology, June 2018 makes a GI application for hill garlic. 

Benefits of Hill Garlic. 

This is known for its medicinal and preservative properties due to its antioxidant and antimicrobial potential, attributed to the presence of a higher amount of Organosulfur compounds, flavonoids, and phenols. The soil condition, temperature, humidity, rainfall, and hill attitude are the attributes of the uniqueness of Garlic. Garlic has a better nutritional profile which leads to the following vitamins and minerals, they are; 

• Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B4 B6, B9, and C.
• Calcium 
• Copper 
• Iron 
• Phosphorus 
• Potassium 
• Selenium 
• Zinc

Numerous magazines praise honey with garlic as healthy. The combination protects against colds or strengthen the immune system. However, people often forget that honey is chemically speaking sugar, lacking vitamins and minerals. Therefore, any health benefit of the combination comes exclusively from garlic but not from honey. In addition, the high fructose and glucose content of honey harms the liver and endocrine system, which is why it can counteract any effects of garlic. Kodaikanal villagers totally depend on garlic for almost all common ailments like Asthma, headache, body pain, indigestion, tiredness, and gastrointestinal problems. There are some products which make using Garlic, They are; 

Poondu legiyam   

It is a medicinal paste of garlic. It helps in restoring the health of mothers after childbirth. Furthermore, it also helps in weight reduction. 

Poondu rasam

It is a soup using garlic for relieving pains and health issues. 

Health benefits

• 1. Hill garlic, which contains Organosulphur compounds flavonoids, might offer protection against some types of cancer. 
• 2. Garlic stimulates our immune system: it allows us to recover more quickly from colds and flu. 
• 3. Hill garlic is an antibacterial food that destroys microbes and intestinal parasites. 
• 4. Garlic might have the ability to control cholesterol. 
• 5. Garlic might have the ability to control blood pressure as needed. Men between the ages of 40 and 50 consumed 3 grams of fresh garlic for 16 weeks, reduced markers of platelet aggregation by about 80% 

Cultivation in India 

Kodaikanal Hill garlic is more peculiar than other varieties cultivated throughout India. The pungent taste and odor are very strong. In India, Kharif (June-July) and rabi (October-November) crops are the time for garlic plantation, and it depends on the region. It is a rabi crop in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Bengal, and hilly regions. It is both Kharif and rabi crop in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. Cultivation of Kodaikanal malai poondu is as two crops: In September-October and in April-May. Other garlic varieties cannot tolerate freezing or hot climate conditions. But Kodaikanal Malai Poondu grows in a cool climate between 11 °C to 20 °C. The climatic condition and soil make this garlic peculiar characteristics with abundant medicinal properties.

 

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