Here Is a New, Improved, Idiot-Proof Way to Peel Garlic

On June 16, a 25-second clip by Valentina Bachkarova-Lord captivated Twitter. Its claim: the “best method of getting garlic peeled.” Presumably ever.

For centuries, people have furiously grappled with the best technique to unleash these imprisoned cloves from their papery shells. Almost 100 million Google results pop up when you type the words “best way to peel garlic” into the search bar. Which one will you teach your children and grandchildren when the moment comes?

Maybe you will take a pan and forcefully beat the clove until it yelps and slips out of its skin. Maybe you will let it soak in lukewarm water and then dig your fingers into the bulb, leaving garlic gunk under your manicured fingernails for days. Or maybe, thanks to Bachkarova-Lord, you will indulge in this stab, twist and pull method to tear the clove from its lodging.

Now exposed to millions of foodies, the technique has been both praised and scrutinized. Videos of people standing in their kitchens with mounds of broken garlic and the captions “lies” and “doesn’t work” are growing in numbers. Others, like Pemerhati Umum, are fonder: “Years of collaboration between DARPA and Ivy League institutions has led the human race worldwide to gain this knowledge. Bless.”

What will you do when you’re standing in the kitchen and your grandson looks up at you reverently and asks, “Papa, please, what is best way to peel garlic?”

Editor’s Note: RealClearLife, a news and lifestyle publisher, is now a part of InsideHook. Together, we’ll be covering current events, pop culture, sports, travel, health and, the world. Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.