When I was a child, there was one thing about my grandmother that puzzled me more than anything else. Every single day, without skipping, she would boil whole heads of garlic in a small covered pot. She didn’t roast it, didn’t sauté it, didn’t add it to a dish. No — she boiled it by itself, as if it were the most precious ingredient in the world.

The entire house would fill with a strong, unmistakable aroma. As a kid, I found it almost unbearable. I couldn’t understand why she did it, and why it seemed so important to her. She never offered any explanation; she simply went about her routine with quiet certainty.

It wasn’t until many years later that I finally asked:

“Grandma, why do you keep boiling garlic? It’s not even food that way.”

She set down her spoon, looked at me with a seriousness I had never seen before, and said softly:

“If you knew why I do it, you’d never question it again. It has nothing to do with taste.”

At that moment I realized she was about to reveal something that had been kept in our family for generations.

A family secret never written down — only passed along

She told me that her own mother had done the same thing. Back then, people didn’t rely on pharmacies or expensive medicines. They used whatever nature offered, and garlic was considered one of the most powerful gifts they had.

But not raw, not crushed, not fried.
Boiled slowly, patiently, exactly the way she did it.

According to her, this method had helped the family survive difficult winters, outbreaks of illness, and long periods when even a minor sickness could turn dangerous.

She said that slowly boiled garlic released something the old folks used to call “the hidden strength of the plant.”

And the more she explained it, the less ridiculous it sounded.

What happens to garlic during long boiling? The truth stunned me

Grandma said that when garlic is boiled on very low heat for a long time, it undergoes a transformation. Compounds that normally burn off or break down are slowly released in a gentler, more beneficial form. These compounds dissolve into the water and rise with the steam, creating a mild but powerful infusion.

According to her, this garlic water:

strengthens the body’s natural defenses

supports breathing and opens the airways

calms the stomach and improves digestion

reduces fatigue and heaviness

helps the heart and circulation

soothes the nervous system

and helps the body cope with stress and cold weather

It sounded unbelievable — until I tried it myself.

When I began boiling garlic too, the changes were subtle but undeniable

At first, nothing dramatic happened. Just the familiar aroma rising from the pot, an aroma that now reminded me of childhood rather than discomfort.

But after a few days, the changes started:

I woke up with more energy

the morning fog in my head disappeared

my breathing felt clearer

digestion became smoother

I felt calmer throughout the day

the small colds I usually caught regularly simply stopped appearing

I hadn’t changed anything else in my routine.

That was the moment I understood that my grandmother’s “strange habit” wasn’t strange at all. It was knowledge — old knowledge, forgotten by most.

Grandma’s exact method — simple but precise

Take two whole heads of garlic, remove only the dry outer skin but keep the cloves together.

Place them in a small pot.

Add one liter of cold water.

Boil on the lowest heat for 30–40 minutes, always with the lid on.

After turning off the heat, let it sit for 20 minutes covered.

By the time it was ready, the sharp bite of raw garlic disappeared.
The aroma became soft, warm, almost comforting.

Grandma always said:

“You’ll know it’s done when the smell no longer attacks you — it embraces you.”

Why does this method work so well?

Because:

slow heat transforms garlic instead of destroying it

its beneficial compounds become more accessible

the steam gently purifies the air

the infusion is mild on the body but surprisingly effective

the benefits accumulate day after day

And all this from an ingredient anyone can afford.

Now I finally understand what I once laughed at

What I had once seen as a strange old habit has become a part of my own life.
Not magic, not superstition — just forgotten wisdom that still works.

Every time I lift the lid and feel the soft garlic aroma rise into the air, I hear her voice again:

“When you understand why, it won’t seem strange anymore.”