First of all, it can be traced back to the ancient Han Dynasty period. According to historical records, in 139 B.C., Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Zhang Qian to lead a legion of envoys on a mission to the Western Regions, aiming to open up the western territories and expand trade. This mission not only opened the door to cultural exchange between Central Asia and China, but also brought back many new material cultures, including garlic.
Secondly, garlic is rich in nutritional and medicinal values. As a nourishing and nourishing ingredient, garlic has been respected in China since ancient times because of its ability to enhance human immunity and antioxidant capacity. At the same time, ancient Chinese medicine practitioners also summarized the long-term experience of using garlic, that garlic has the effect of detoxification and anti-inflammatory, preventing diseases, so it also has a wide range of applications in traditional Chinese medicine.
Once again, the Chinese like to mix garlic with other seasonings to make dishes richer and more diverse. Garlic can be flavored in raw or pickled form, and it can also be combined with ginger, chili peppers, cilantro and many other seasonings to present a variety of cuisines with different tastes. Moreover, with the change of time and the different customs of each region, the flavor and consumption method of garlic are also changing, constantly meeting the taste needs of different consumers.
The planting season for garlic is generally divided into two periods: spring and fall. In the fall, the planting time is generally longer, but due to the humid climate in the south, in order to ensure that garlic can safely overwinter, generally choose cold areas for planting. In contrast, northern regions prefer to plant garlic in the spring time. Meanwhile, southern Chinese dishes also like to put sugar and MSG, while garlic is a necessary seasoning added to increase the taste.
In short, the high consumption of garlic from Central Asia in China is actually due to a combination of historical and cultural exchanges, rich nutritional and medicinal value, complementary taste and climate, and the culinary needs of the dishes. Garlic's position in China continues to be strong and growing, and its popularity will continue to do so.
