What Is a Clove of Garlic?
Garlic: A Plant with a Global History
Garlic (Allium sativum) is one of the world’s oldest cultivated plants, belonging to the same botanical family as onions, leeks, and shallots. Native to Central Asia, it has been grown and consumed for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians considered garlic both food and medicine, while Greek athletes ate it to enhance endurance. In China and India, garlic has been used in traditional medicine for centuries, believed to support immunity and digestion. Today, garlic is a global ingredient found in almost every cuisine, from Italian pasta sauces to Korean kimchi. Its distinctive pungent aroma and flavor make it both a staple seasoning and a valued health food.
What Is a Clove of Garlic?
When people talk about garlic, they often refer to the bulb—the round underground structure wrapped in papery skin. This bulb is made up of smaller, wedge-shaped sections known as cloves. Each garlic bulb typically contains 10 to 20 cloves, though the number can vary depending on the variety. A clove is the usable part of the plant in cooking, encased in a thin peel that is removed before use. While small in size, garlic cloves carry a concentrated flavor that intensifies when chopped, crushed, or cooked. Understanding cloves is important not only for cooking accuracy—since recipes often specify “one clove of garlic”—but also for appreciating the structure of this unique plant.
Uses of Garlic Cloves
Garlic cloves are remarkably versatile in the kitchen. Raw cloves add a sharp, pungent bite to salad dressings, salsas, and marinades, while roasted cloves become soft and sweet, spreading easily on bread or blending into sauces. They are a foundational ingredient in many classic dishes, from garlic butter for seafood to stir-fried vegetables and hearty stews. Beyond flavor, garlic cloves are known for their potential health benefits, as they contain compounds such as allicin, which may support cardiovascular health and immune function. This combination of culinary and nutritional value explains why garlic cloves remain indispensable worldwide.
Dried Garlic Cloves and Other Forms
While fresh garlic cloves are widely used, dried garlic products have become equally important, especially in the food industry. Dried garlic is made by removing moisture from the cloves while preserving their natural flavor and aroma. The most common forms are garlic flakes, granules, and powder. Garlic flakes are thinly sliced pieces that rehydrate easily in cooking, granules provide a coarser texture suitable for seasoning blends, and powder offers convenience for soups, sauces, and spice mixes. Compared to whole dried cloves, these processed forms are far more practical for large-scale food manufacturing because they are easy to measure, store, and incorporate into recipes.
ShunDi’s Dried Garlic Products
Our products include air dried and freeze dried garlic granules, flakes, and powder, all processed under strict food safety and quality standards. With our own farm bases and modern facilities, we ensure full control from cultivation to final packaging. Every step is monitored to guarantee natural and additive-free products that retain the authentic flavor of fresh garlic. Whether for seasoning blends, instant meals, snacks, or sauces, our garlic ingredients provide consistent quality and reliability at scale.