Which Thessalian garlic is used by the Japanese as medicine?

By Gianna Balafouti
Special thanks to Cantina magazine for the kind permission to republish the article.

At the 7th International Symposium on Garlic held in Munich, Germany, the enTopio garlic from Platykampos, Larissa was recognized as one of the top foods with medicinal properties.

The announcement comes as a result of genetic analysis conducted by the University of Thessaly, following comparisons with other garlic varieties from countries such as Spain and Egypt. The traditional variety from Platykampos exhibits antioxidant activity up to five times higher than the others.

“It’s a sin to eat it! It should become medicine”

“There is no better garlic in the world. The Japanese who tried it said it’s a sin to eat it. It should become medicine,” explains Yiannis Koukoutsis, president of the Agricultural Cooperative of Platykampos, to Cantina. “In terms of quality, it ranks at the top of the global market and unfortunately in Greece it hasn’t received the recognition it deserves.”

From Osaka, Japan, to Platykampos, Larissa.

The properties of garlic in the prevention and treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, various forms of cancer, heart diseases, and other chronic conditions led representatives of the Wakunaga Pharmaceutical Company from Osaka, Japan, all the way to Platykampos, Larissa, to meet the producers and learn firsthand about their cultivation methods.

The pharmaceutical company Wakunaga, widely known as Kyolic, holds a leading position in the dietary supplement market with its garlic extract product “Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract”. It has developed a unique aging process that removes the strong odor and enhances the beneficial compounds responsible for its positive health effects.

How can we recognize the miraculous garlic?

“This garlic is not the same everywhere because, if you observe closely, one clove sticks out to the side—that is, it’s not perfectly round like the ones we see on the market. It’s a peculiarity of the local variety, and only those of us in the cooperative cultivate it. Other varieties are grown in the Platykampos area, but they’re not the same. To understand how strong it is, you can’t even add three cloves to half a kilo of yogurt,” explains Yiannis Koukoutsis.

The enTopio garlic of Platykampos, derived from heirloom seed and entirely hand-processed in the traditional way, is seeking recognition as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product.