Why does "Laba Garlic" turn into "Miserable Green Boy"? Eating Laba Garlic has so many benefits!

Today is the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the well-known "Laba Festival". There is a custom of soaking "Laba garlic" and drinking "Laba porridge".

Every Laba day, families in the north would buy a bunch of garlic, clean it, put it in a bottle or jar, pour a lot of vinegar until all the garlic is completely submerged, and then seal it and put it in a cool place. On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, soak it, and by the time of the New Year, the Laba garlic can be eaten.

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At first glance, Laba garlic looks scary, with a pale green appearance, as if it is poisonous, but in fact, Laba garlic is a very healthy food. It retains most of the benefits of garlic, but is not as irritating as raw garlic, and does not contain extra sugar and salt. It tastes sour, spicy and crispy. It is good whether eaten alone or as a side dish. It is a perfect choice to eat one while eating meat dumplings!

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Why is Laba garlic green?

So, why is Laba garlic a "miserable green boy"?

This involves a complex reaction called an enzymatic reaction . Enzymes are the key players in this reaction, and the additional vinegar and lower temperature are the conditions for the enzymes to be released.

The so-called enzyme is a protein that plays a catalytic role in organisms. It is usually inside the cell and is not easy to react. However, vinegar changes this situation. The acidic environment it creates increases the permeability of the cells, and the enzymes in the cells are released. Then, low temperature activates these enzymes. Driven by the enzyme, the special amino acids in garlic react with specific acids to form yellow pigments - wait, why is it yellow? Where is the "pale green boy"?

In fact, in this process, the metabolism of sulfur compounds in garlic will produce a certain amount of blue pigment. The combination of the two will create a green boy.

If the Laba garlic is stored for too long, you may find that it gradually "fades" and turns yellow. This is actually because the blue pigment is not very stable and will gradually decompose. Therefore, if it is stored for too long, the Laba garlic will turn from green to yellow.

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Which is better, Laba garlic or raw garlic?

To explain this issue clearly, we must first talk about the original nutrition of garlic. Fresh garlic contains 70% water, about 25% carbohydrates, 4% protein, less than 1% fat, and some dietary fiber, vitamins, trace elements and antioxidants.

Among the trace elements, selenium, germanium, and zinc are more prominent. It is worth mentioning that the selenium content of garlic is three times that of ordinary vegetables. Selenium has an antioxidant effect and can also combine with toxic heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury to form a protein complex to play a detoxifying role . Zinc is an essential element for the synthesis of many enzymes in our body, and germanium is related to immune function.

Of course, it should be noted that we eat garlic as a condiment in daily life. If we eat too much, it will cause discomfort due to excessive stimulation of the stomach and intestines. Therefore, the nutritional content is for reference only, and we cannot expect to get too many substantial benefits by eating garlic.

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These nutrients undergo some changes in the process of turning raw garlic into Laba garlic, mainly some water-soluble nutrients running into the vinegar.

After being soaked in vinegar, the protein, starch, dextrin, etc. in the garlic will be partially degraded and turned into polypeptides or amino acids, as well as soluble sugars, some of which will dissolve into the vinegar.

Research has found that after soaking garlic in vinegar for a month, only about 1/3 of the water-soluble vitamin C and half of the vitamin B1 remain, but 90% of the selenium remains.

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At the same time, garlic also absorbs some nutrients from vinegar. Some studies have found that after soaking in vinegar for 14 days, the iron content in garlic increased to about 2 times the original, and the manganese content increased to about 5 times the original. These trace elements are mainly absorbed from vinegar.

Because of the immersion process, the antioxidant activity of Laba garlic is slightly lower than that of fresh garlic. Fortunately, the degree of decline is not large, not exceeding 20%.

It is worth mentioning that after being soaked in vinegar, the spiciness of garlic is reduced, and its irritation to the digestive tract is also weakened, making it much more comfortable to eat than raw garlic.

So overall, Laba garlic retains most of the benefits of garlic while reducing its irritation. It also does not absorb unhealthy sugar and salt like pickled garlic and soy sauce garlic. It is indeed a good way to eat garlic.

References

[1] Zhao Xiaodan. Study on the function of vinegar-soaked green garlic and the separation and properties of its green pigment[D]. China Agricultural University, 2005.

[2] Wang Jialin, Li Lihui, Yang Shaoxiang, Liu Yongguo, Tian Hongyu. Study on the changes of chemical composition during the pickling process of vinegar and garlic[J]. Chinese Condiment, 2017, 42(05): 28-35.

[3] Chen Xiaomei, Zhang Xiaofeng, Hong Yueling, Zhu Mingjun, Wang Qi, Han Ping. Study on antioxidant components in vinegar garlic[J]. Chinese Condiments, 2009, 34(07): 56-60.

Planning and production

Author: Gu Zhongyi, Director of Beijing Nutritionist Association

Reviewer: Ruan Guangfeng, Director of Science and Technology Department, Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center