Long ago in Egypt, workmen stopped work on the Great Pyramid of Cheops when they did not get enough garlic to eat 2 The food the Egyptians liked so much belongs to the lily family. It is a bulb made up of small cloves. The cloves are shaped like narrow spoons. They may be white, green or pale purple. Their thin skins give no hint of the strength inside. Garlic is not as mild as its cousins, the onion and the leek. It has one of the strongest flavors known to man. From early times man has used garlic. The Bible speaks of it. The Israelites were once far from home. They cried out to Moses, their leader, for the foods they loved: leeks, onions, and garlic. The Romans, like the Israelites, loved to eat garlic. And they hung pouches of garlic around their necks. They hoped it would ward off the evil eye. They also thought it would keep them from getting sick A similar idea is still held. Many people take garlic thinking it will prevent or cure disease. Most doctors say it does no such thing. They say it may help in one way, though. Its smell may force people to stay far apart. At least then they can't pass germs on to each other But keeping your distance can be hard at times. What if you're in a play, for instance? Actors have been known to forget their lines because they couldn't stand the garlic fumes on a fellow actor's breath. Some have even made up new lines and actions that kept them far away from the offender