Is garlic a vegetable or a spice? This is what the Madhya Pradesh HC says; We asked a dietician to weigh in

The humble garlic clove found itself at the heart of a legal tussle in India. What began as a seemingly simple question – is garlic a vegetable or a spice? – escalated into a full-blown legal battle that reached the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

The dispute arose when the state’s market board declared garlic a vegetable in 2015, only to be reversed by the agriculture department, which reclassified it as a spice. This bureaucratic ping-pong had significant implications for farmers and traders, affecting where garlic could be sold and taxed.

After years of legal wrangling, the high court finally ruled in favour of garlic’s vegetable status, citing its perishable nature.

Kanikka Malhotra, a consultant dietician and diabetes educator, explained that botanically, garlic is classified as a vegetable. It belongs to the Allium genus, which includes other vegetables like onions, leeks, and shallots.

The edible part of garlic is the bulb, which grows underground and consists of several cloves wrapped in a thin, papery skin. This bulb structure makes garlic a vegetable, similar to other root and bulb vegetables, she said.

Garlic is used as a spice, though (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

What is a vegetable?

Vegetables are generally defined as the edible parts of plants, such as roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or fruits.

Garlic, being a bulb, fits this definition perfectly. It is cultivated and harvested like other vegetables and provides nutritional value, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. (Did you know humans initially called all plant forms ‘vegetables?’)

Garlic is used as a spice, though

Despite its botanical classification, garlic is often used as a spice in cooking due to its strong flavour and aroma. Spices are typically derived from seeds, fruits, bark, or other plant parts and are used primarily to season and flavour food rather than for their nutritional content. Garlic is used in small quantities to add depth and complexity to dishes, much like a spice would be.

The potent flavor of garlic comes from compounds like allicin, which are released when garlic is chopped or crushed Malhotra explained. These compounds give garlic its characteristic pungent smell and taste, which can dominate or enhance the flavor of a dish.

Malhotra said that while garlic is botanically a vegetable, its culinary use aligns more with that of a spice. This dual role makes garlic a versatile ingredient, capable of providing both flavour and nutritional benefits. Its classification as a vegetable does not diminish its powerful role as a flavouring agent, making it a staple in kitchens worldwide.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.