In recent days, garlic has been selling at 9 yuan (RM4.30) a kg in Shandong, where the food is practically a must for every meal, as compared to 0.2 yuan last year.
China produces about three-quarters of the world's garlic. Argentina and Spain are the next largest exporters. And we thought it all came from Gilroy, California!!This is not the first time that China has experienced a garlic frenzy, as back in 2003 the herb also rose in price, to about 1.8 yuan a kg, when the SARS epidemic struck.
China's Ministry of Commerce — which tracks rising prices across the country — recently also dismissed garlic as a panacea. It posted an article on its website quoting Chinese traditional medicine experts as debunking the notion that garlic is as good as a flu shot.
But most Chinese apparently do not see any harm in consuming more garlic.
Chinese schools have been hoarding garlic for their pupils to eat, hoping that it could beat off the H1N1 virus. The China Daily has reported that a high school in Hangzhou in eastern China bought 200kg of garlic and made students eat it at lunch to stay healthy.
As a San Francisco chiropractor, I recommend garlic throughout the cold and flu season. By the way, it really needs to be consumed raw to get this benefit.
