Raw garlic is one of the most versatile foods in the world. In China, people believe that raw garlic has many medicinal properties, helps prevent cancer, reduces cholesterol, and promotes healthy skin.
This article discusses more the answer to “Why do Chinese eat raw garlic?” and how it can be used in cooking. You can also find out the benefits of eating raw garlic after reading this article.
Why Do Chinese Eat Raw Garlic?
Raw garlic is one of the most effective and widely-used ingredients in traditional Chinese medicines owing to its high proportion of antioxidants which can help improve respiratory health and the immune system. Besides, raw garlic is a perfect companion for many Chinese dishes like dumplings and grilled pork belly. That’s why the consumption of raw garlic in the Chinese population is higher than in other culture populations.
Garlic is a cheap ingredient that is easy to find in China. Through many studies, scientists have proved that garlic is a healthful addition to your diet, especially raw garlic. Raw garlic contains high antioxidants beneficial to improve immunity and reduce the risks of lung and liver cancer. By chopping or chewing raw garlic without a well-cooked process, it is possible to preserve the antioxidant properties of this amazing ingredient.
Raw garlic has a stronger taste than cooked one. Its strong taste, when combined with doughy dumplings or grilled belly pork, will evoke all your five senses, simply making the food better. If you cannot bite and chew raw garlic directly, you can make it into slim slices and eat it with other herbs like cilantro and green onions, especially when eating grilled pork. You can also mince cloves of raw garlic and put them in your sauces or salad dressing.
Why do Chinese mukbangers eat raw garlic?
Mukbangers, including Chinese mukbangers, eat raw garlic because of their eating habits and cuisine. As many dishes in Chinese cuisine have garlic as an indispensable ingredient, they often eat garlic together with other foods to make them savory. Besides, garlic helps improve digestion by removing and suppressing harmful microorganisms such as excess Candida. So, they may eat raw garlic for such reasons.
Health Benefits Of Eating Raw Garlic
Garlic has been a key ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. It has been used to treat various ailments, such as poisoning, respiratory infections, abnormal growths, headache, insomnia, and depression.
Raw garlic could play a role in lowering cancer rate and blood pressure to reduce the risk of heart disease. Besides, garlic helps minimize the risk of lung and liver cancer with its high antioxidant properties, according to modern medical studies.
In traditional Chinese medicine, eating raw garlic can help improve digestion. The warmth of garlic helps the food and fluid digestion of the stomach and the spleen better so that harmful microorganisms such as excess Candida can be effectively eliminated and suppressed. Besides, it is also effective for relieving food-poisoning cases and other ailments of the digestive tracts.
The warmth of raw garlic is also considered a crucial feature that helps fight against cancer cells. According to “Garlic in traditional Chinese medicine” by Paul O’Brien, the warmth of garlic “creates an inhospitable environment in which the harmful micro-organisms cannot survive” by increasing “the temperature of the area in which the invader organisms are lodged” and helps break down the “masses of stagnation” or cancer cells in the body.
Can eating raw garlic be harmful?
Besides the benefits, raw garlic can have several drawbacks. It can cause bad breath, heartburn, gas, and diarrhea as side effects. Such side effects are frequently exacerbated by raw garlic. Garlic may also induce the risk of bleeding in some people and cause allergic reactions in others.
How much raw garlic can I eat a day?
The daily consumption amount of raw garlic should be one to two cloves, one 300-mg dried garlic powder tablet 2 or 3 times, or 7.2 g of aged garlic extract per day.
FAQs
What are cultures that eat raw garlic?
Raw garlic has been consumed in many cultures, including most Asian cultures (Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, South Korean, Japanese, and Vietnam), southern Europe, and parts of Latin America.
Why do Asians eat raw garlic?
Most Asian cultures eat raw garlic because it has many health benefits, from relieving food-poisoning symptoms to reducing the risks of cancer and heart diseases. Besides, the pungent flavor of garlic is a good addition to most Asian dishes, especially in China cuisine.
Why do Chinese eat raw garlic with pork belly?
It may be due to their cuisine. Raw garlic is a great ingredient to eat with grilled meat. Also, raw garlic has many health benefits, including reducing cholesterol levels, respiratory infections, and cancer risks.Â
References:
- O’Brien, Paul. “Garlic in traditional Chinese medicine.” Spezzatino 2010 (2007): 26-9. https://www.meridian-acupuncture-clinic.com/support-files/garlic-in-tcm.pdf
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31480423/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4873399/
- https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2005/0701/p103.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic
Tracy M. Hall was born in 1995 and studies society, human behavior, and mentality. She’s captivated by people’s interactions and motivations. After studying sociology, she got a Ph.D. in social psychology from Carnegie Mellon University. She wrote about human interaction, separation, and the future.
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