Garlic

Species name: Allium sativum

Garlic is the most pungent and spicy member of the bulb family. When cooked, however, its flavor sweetens and mellows. The bulb of the garlic is comprised of numerous fleshy sections called cloves. The individual cloves are covered with a thin papery membrane, or skin. The leaves, stems, flowers, and cloves of this plant are edible, and they are usually eaten before they have matured. The only portion that is not palatable is the papery membrane that covers certain parts of the plant, and the roots of the bulb. The germ is removed because it is difficult to digest.