FOOD : User-Friendly Garlic

COOKS HAVE been using garlic for more than 5,000 years; and its heart-protecting, bacteria-fighting properties have become as well known as its flavor. Just as notable is garlic’s aromatic calling card--though garlic breath does not, in fact, originate in the mouth. The odor-producing components of the vegetable, called allicins, are carried by blood stream to the lungs, where they are expelled in the act of breathing.

The sacrifice of social intercourse for flavor is no longer necessary. A new line of condiments renders the pungent plant socially benign without compromising culinary and healthful attributes. “We have simply added things so the allicins are neutralized in the digestive process before being circulated to the lungs,” says Mr. Garlic products inventor Zain Sheriff.

Mr. Garlic products, which contain no chemicals or preservatives, are available at some Ralphs, Gelson’s, Mayfair and Westward Ho markets.