Allium sativum is a species in the onion family Alliaceae.It is used for both culinary and medicinal purposes.It has a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking.A bulb of Allium sativum is divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves.The cloves are used as seed, for raw or cooked, medicinal purposes.The papery, protective layers of "skin" over various parts of the plant and the roots attached to the bulb are the only parts not considered palatable.