New garlic is beginning to hit the market. Pairing it with honey not only improves its taste but also enhances its health benefits, being particularly helpful for "nourishing the liver in spring."
According to the *Compendium of Materia Medica*, honey is described as follows: "It dispels evil qi in the heart and abdomen, relieves various convulsions and spasms, pacifies the five organs and addresses all deficiencies, replenishes qi and tonifies the middle jiao, alleviates pain and counteracts toxins, eliminates numerous ailments, and harmonizes all medicines. With long-term use, it sharpens the intellect, lightens the body, wards off hunger and aging, and prolongs life, bestowing a divine quality." Since garlic is a pungent and irritating food that can irritate the gastric mucosa, while honey can harmonize the stomach and nourish yin, consuming garlic soaked in honey can compensate for its drawbacks of damaging yin and harming the stomach. At the same time, the minerals and sugars in honey can combine with the nutrients in garlic to enhance liver function.
When making honey garlic, first heat the garlic in a microwave for 1-2 minutes, or blanch it in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Then, soak it in honey for about a week before it is ready to eat. For better results, you can soak the garlic in a salt solution of about 30% for a period of time before draining it and placing it in the honey. When consuming, you can dilute the honey with water or add a suitable amount of lemon juice.
The best time to eat honey-soaked garlic is after dinner, which can reduce the irritation to the stomach. It should be noted that although garlic has antibacterial properties, a healthy person should consume a maximum of 2-3 cloves per day, while those with a sensitive stomach should only eat about half a clove a day. Patients with liver or kidney diseases should avoid consuming it during treatment.