Used by virtually all known civilisations including Ancient India, Egypt, China and Japan, garlic has a wealth of medicinal benefits. Originally from Central Asia, it is now cultivated worldwide and can be grown in Kuranda if planted after the Wet.

Known as Russian antibiotic, garlic is has been used to treat all types of diseases from typhoid to tuberculosis, coughs and colds to gut parasites. It was even used to dress wounds in the First World War.

More than 1,000 scientific papers have been published on the medicinal effects of garlic. They show that as well as having antibiotic activity, it helps prevent heart disease and stroke by keeping the blood thin and by lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and that it can also help lower raised blood sugar in late- onset diabetes.

So it's well worth the strong smelling breath (which can anyway be freshened by chewing dill seeds or munching on parsley leaves.)