where did garlic originate
Garlic in History and Culture. Garlic has ancient roots. The word garlic comes from Old English and means spear-leek. Both leeks and garlic come from the onion family (Alliaceae). The plant is thought to have originated in central Asia, used there since neolithic times. It was probably among the earliest of cultivated crops. It spread early, via trade routes, to become a staple flavoring throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa.