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  • The Fantastic Spices World
  • The Fantastic Spices World

BEAR’S GARLIC ( Allium ursinum L. )
Names in Other Languages:

English Ramson, Wild garlic
French Ail sauvage, Ail des ours
German Bärlauch, Wilder Knoblauch, Waldknoblauch, Ramsen
Spanish Ajo silvestre, Ajo de oso
Italian Erba orsina, Aglio orsino
Turkish Yabanî sarımsak, Ayı sarımsağı, Çin Sarımsağı
Japanese ラムソムズ Ramusomuzu

FAMILY: Alliaceae

ORIGIN:   : Native to Western and Central Europe.

Fresh leaf or bear’s garlic


Bear’s garlic at the start of the
flowering period
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Bear’s garlic grows in woodland, in near or among bluebells, and is identifiable by its garlic-like smell and long lush leaves. It grows from late winter and throughout spring.

USEFUL PARTS:

Young leaves, preferably fresh. They should be harvested before the plants starts flowering. The bulb, being much smaller than that of garlic, is only rarely used

SENSORY PROPERTIES:

Similar to garlic, but less strong and with a hint of chives.

MAIN CONSTITUENTS:

Bear’s garlic contains a large number of sulfur compounds: divinyl sulfide, dimethyl thiosulfonate, methyl cystein sulfoxide and the latter’s degradation products, methyl allyl thiosulfonate and methanethiol. Indeed, it is rich in Vitamins A and C as well as in minerals.








MAIN USES IN FOOD PROCESSING:


Bear’s garlic in flower
Fresh leavescare sprinkled on bread, in soups, sauces, salads and meat dishes. Bears' garlic is wonderful chopped into spring salads, or used like sorrel or leeks in soups and quiche. Its succulent leaves are not at all fibrous and melt down in volume when cooked, becoming very mild in flavor. They are better preserved by preparing a pesto-like sauce or simply by freezing. Bear's garlic should not be boiled or simmered at all, but used raw with the fresh leaves being mixed with the hot food and eaten immediately. Otherwise, most of the characteristic flavour is wasted and the aroma perfumes the kitchen but not the food.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES:

Bear's Garlic has been traditionally used for the treatment of heart disease, high cholesterol, fatty deposits, arteriosclerosis, infection's of the eyes, ears, throat, respiratory infections, coughs, hoarseness, colds & flu along with a variety of illnesses. Bear's garlic has properties close to common garlic, it relieves stomach pains, facilitates digestion, it is used to heal diarrheas, colics, constipation and stimulate appetite.

In general, it can be used like garlic. Bear's Garlic stops bacterial growth in wounds, in yeasts and fungi in the digestive tract, it deodorizes and eliminates bad breath & body odor, it removes drug deposits, it counteracts all toxins, it halts tooth decay & gum infection, it acts as an anti-inflammatory, a blood cleanser for the circulatory system, an astringent, an antioxidant, an expectorant, an enzyme activant, it promotes good liver and intestinal function, it lowers both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and acts as a vasodilator, allowing for better blood flow (circulation).

Bears Garlic helps alleviate some forms of anemia, helps with lung diseases such as bronchitis, tuberculosis and pleurisy, skin problems such as boils and pustules, it helps kill many parasites and has anti-tumor properties. Bear's garlic distinguishes itself by means of its especially high sulphur content. As an important element in the formation of enzymes, sulphur contributes to the natural cleansing of the body. Special sulphur compounds foster a healthy intestinal flora and help the body in the natural elimination of heavy metals, pesticides and residues from medicines. Wild Bear's Garlic has higher levels of ajoenes, adenosine, iron, and ACE-Inhibitory potential.

REFERENCES and SOURCES:

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Alli_urs.html

http://www.pfaf.org/leaflets/garlic.php

http://www.bearsgarlic.com/

http://www.aidanbrooksspices.blogspot.com/2007/10/garlic-bears.html