Songpan Garlic

Songpan Garlic

　　Songpan garlic is well known for its large size and high quality. It is exported as far as Gansu, Qinghai, and Shaanxi provinces. Garlic is highly nutritious, containing not only protein, fat, sugar, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamins C, B1, and B2, but also a considerable amount of allicin. Allicin has antibacterial properties. While traveling, bringing along some Songpan garlic can be very beneficial—just eating one or two cloves can help prevent intestinal and respiratory infections. If you have a cold, flu, or tonsillitis, holding two or three raw garlic cloves in your mouth and switching them three or four times can also have therapeutic effects. For itchy spaces between the toes, applying garlic juice can help. For nosebleeds, applying mashed garlic to the soles of your feet can bring immediate relief.

　　However, whether you eat garlic or hold it in your mouth, there’s no avoiding its strong odor. But that’s not a problem—just eat a few red dates or chew on some tea leaves to eliminate the smell.

　　Songpan garlic is widely used in cooking, and both garlic sprouts and garlic scapes are considered top-tier vegetables. As summer approaches, when traveling to Huanglong, don’t forget to pack a few heads of Songpan garlic.