Creators Syndicate

FIGHT BACK! BY DAVID HOROWITZ 

Bloom of the Stinking Rose 

        For as long as I can remember, one of the most noticeable
things about driving  between Los Angeles and San Francisco on U.S. 101
has been passing through  Gilroy, Calif., south of San Jose. Gilroy
calls itself "The Garlic Capital of the World," and  at certain times
of the year, the pungent aroma from the garlic fields hangs heavy over 
the whole valley. The town's annual Garlic Festival draws nearly
150,000 visitors a  year. 
        These are boom times for Gilroy and dozens of other areas where
garlic is  grown commercially. Americans are gobbling up garlic in
record amounts, and not just  for its flavor. Garlic is a natural
antibiotic, fungicide and insect repellent. Many people  believe a
daily dose of the herb will lower cholesterol and high blood pressure,
ease  asthma symptoms, prevent certain types of cancer and cure
everything from yeast  infections to herpes. 
        Clinical nutritionists at New York Hospital are now studying
the curative  properties of garlic. But as yet, there is still very
little research data to back up such  claims. Still, if you talk to
people who believe in the powers of garlic, you'll hear all  kinds of
stories of how garlic helped them (or someone they know) to good
health. 
        There is no denying garlic's growing popularity. There are
garlic cookbooks in  every bookstore, garlic roasters and presses for
sale in kitchen boutiques, garlic pills  advertised on the radio and
garlic festivals to rival Gilroy's popping up in Arizona,  Washington,
Virginia, New York and Canada. 
        True garlic fanciers say you get the most benefit when the herb
is aged for two  years, and then eaten raw. But, there are obvious
social consequences involved.  Besides garlic breath, you may also
sweat garlic through your skin if you eat enough of  it. And, if you
think that's a small price to pay for good health, ask the people you
live  and work with. They may have a different perspective. 
        Manufacturers of garlic pills and tablets say their products
have all the benefits  of eating fresh garlic with none of the
drawbacks. Such claims may be arguable, but at  least the pills are
guaranteed to be odor-free. 
        There are nearly 100 different varieties of garlic grown in the
United States. The  most common type found in supermarkets is the
soft-necked artichoke garlic grown in  California. But, more exotic
varieties are now finding their way to markets and  backyard gardens
all over the country. These are often better suited to local soil and 
climate conditions than the commercial varieties and may bring premium
prices at  gourmet food stores and farmers markets. 
        But growing garlic is more a labor of love than a way to make
big bucks, at least  on a small scale. It's extremely labor intensive
-- from planting by hand to sorting and  packing. Only about a third of
the crop is marketable. Another third is set aside for  planting, while
the remainder is usually too small to be of any commercial value. But,
if  the object is to grow your own garlic for your own use, then it's
well worth the trouble. 
        If you have any questions or comments, please write to David
Horowitz in the  Consumer Forum+ (go FIGHTBACK). COPYRIGHT 1995
CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.