Jafo, won't bore you with all the names (there are three so similar that they confuse everybody), but the enzymes and sufurides that make up the active ingredients are released on contact with oxygen.
That's why sliced is better than whole, chopped better than sliced, minced better than chopped, etc. The smaller the individual pieces the more surface area you expose, and, thus, the more active ingredients you activate.
However, both letting the garlic sit for any length of time, and cooking it, negates the medicinal benefits. So for cooking purposes your concern is with flavor. And to maximize that, you want to chop, mince, or crush the garlic just before adding it to the cooking pot.
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