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FoodSurprise 5/5Difficulty 3/5Reviewed on September 14, 2026

The smell of garlic only appears when the clove is cut or crushed.

Why it is true

Whole garlic contains alliin, an odourless compound. When the clove is cut or crushed, the enzyme alliinase converts alliin into allicin, which gives the strong, characteristic smell. That is why whole garlic has almost no smell.

Source: Journal of Food Science

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