大蒜，多年生草本植物，百合科蔥屬。地下鱗莖分瓣，按皮色不同分為紫皮種和白皮種。辛辣，有刺激性氣味，可食用或供調味，亦可入藥。大蒜種西漢時從西域傳入我國，經人工栽培繁育深受大眾喜食。
       
    陡溝大蒜：陡溝大蒜，俗稱“齊頭黑”，瓣大、皮薄、肉厚、味辣而甜。含維生素C、碳水化合物、及硫、磷、鐵等多種營養，有消炎解毒、殺菌治痢、防治腦炎等功能。每年收獲期，河北、內蒙、山西、湖北、山東及河南各地到陡溝購買大蒜的車輛絡繹不絕，常被搶購一空。
       
    大蒜呈扁球形或短圓錐形，外面有灰白色或淡棕色膜質鱗皮，剝去鱗葉，內有6～10個蒜瓣，輪生于花莖的周圍，莖基部盤狀，生有多數須根。每一蒜瓣外包薄膜，剝去薄膜，即見白色、肥厚多汁的鱗片。有濃烈的蒜臭，味辛辣。
     
   大蒜營養豐富：每100克含水分69.8克，蛋白質4.4克，脂肪0.2克，碳水化合物23.6克，鈣5毫克，磷44毫克，鐵0.4毫克，維生素C3毫克。此外，還含有硫胺素、核黃素、尼克酸、蒜素、檸檬醛以及硒和鍺等微量元素。含揮發油約0.2%，油中主要成分為大蒜辣素，具有殺菌作用，是大蒜中所含的蒜氨酸受大蒜酶的作用水解產生。尚含多種烯丙基、丙基和甲基組成的硫醚化合物等。
      
    大蒜性溫，味辛平；入脾、胃、肺經。陰虛火旺及慢性胃炎潰瘍病患者應慎食。外用能引起皮膚發紅，灼熱，起泡，故不宜敷之過久，皮膚過敏者慎用。



 

Dougou Garlic 

 
    Garlic belongs to herbaceos perennial, liliaceae and allium. It has separate underground bulbs and can be divided into two kinds according to skin color: purplish ones and white ones. It tastes pungent, smells penetrating and is edible or medicinal. Garlic was introduced into China from the Western Regions in Western Han Dynasty.
      
    Dougou garlic has big sections, thin skin, thick sarcocarp, pungent and sweet flavor. Besides, it contains vitamin C, carbohydrate, sulphur, phosphorus, ferrum and many other nutritious elements so that it can cure diseases of antiphlogistic, detoxification, sterilization, dysentery, encephalitis, etc. However, fire excess from yin deficiency, Chronic Gastritis and canker patients should be cautious to use. Besides, external use is likely to cause rubefaction, scorching hot, blister so we had better not apply it for a long time. In every harvest period, many merchants from Hebei, Neimenggu, Shanxi, Hubei, Shandong make a panic purchase in Dougou.