Without garlic, some of our most beloved recipes — Caesar salad, garlic bread, and pesto alla Genovese — would taste totally different. The flavorful allium sometimes called the "stinking rose," is in the same family as onions, leeks, and shallots and is enjoyed raw or cooked in dishes from every cuisine.

Known for its flavor and smell, the bulb has medicinal benefits used for centuries by earlier civilizations to ward off colds (and vampires), lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while its antioxidant properties may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and dementia, per Healthline.