Production volume of garlic in India FY 2022, by leading state
Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest production of garlic across India in financial year 2022, amounting to over two million metric tons. The Indian states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat followed. The country produced over 3.1 million metric tons of the garlic in 2021.
In human consumption
Native to central Asia and parts of Iran, garlic has been used for thousands of years as a seasoning plant. It was used in traditional medicine widely across Egypt and was considered “food among the poor” in ancient Rome. It belongs to the leek family and comes in many varieties. About 28 million metric tons of garlic are produced worldwide. India came third with an export value of 6.2 million U.S. dollars. In India, it is essential in seasoning, along with ginger and onions, often in combination with a ginger-garlic paste.
In Indian mythology
In Ayurveda, garlic has medicinal and healing qualities, often in higher demand during the winter months. Some faiths within India regard garlic, along with onions and other root vegetables to be impure, and hence do not consume it. It is also not part of the offering given to worshippers at temples. This stems from one of the legends about the gods and demons fighting over the nectar of immortality - one of the demons partook in the nectar and was decapitated by one of the gods as a result. Since he drank the nectar, he did not die. But drops of nectar fell from him onto the Earth and sprouted into garlic.
Despite this supposed impurity, garlic has been written about extensively in several Indian scriptures, specifically for its ability to heal winter ailments that occur in regions of the subcontinent. This often resulted in higher demand for the vegetable in the colder months.
In human consumption
Native to central Asia and parts of Iran, garlic has been used for thousands of years as a seasoning plant. It was used in traditional medicine widely across Egypt and was considered “food among the poor” in ancient Rome. It belongs to the leek family and comes in many varieties. About 28 million metric tons of garlic are produced worldwide. India came third with an export value of 6.2 million U.S. dollars. In India, it is essential in seasoning, along with ginger and onions, often in combination with a ginger-garlic paste.
In Indian mythology
In Ayurveda, garlic has medicinal and healing qualities, often in higher demand during the winter months. Some faiths within India regard garlic, along with onions and other root vegetables to be impure, and hence do not consume it. It is also not part of the offering given to worshippers at temples. This stems from one of the legends about the gods and demons fighting over the nectar of immortality - one of the demons partook in the nectar and was decapitated by one of the gods as a result. Since he drank the nectar, he did not die. But drops of nectar fell from him onto the Earth and sprouted into garlic.
Despite this supposed impurity, garlic has been written about extensively in several Indian scriptures, specifically for its ability to heal winter ailments that occur in regions of the subcontinent. This often resulted in higher demand for the vegetable in the colder months.
