The Garlic Belt is a humorous reference to the countries of Southern Europe, specifically France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, usually by someone from Northern Europe. It refers superficially to their shared penchant for garlic in their cooking (absent in the North), but that is simply for humor; the grouping refers to a shared tendency toward political and economic similarities, which are probably due to shared histories. These are countries that...
More
The Garlic Belt is a humorous reference to the countries of Southern Europe, specifically France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, usually by someone from Northern Europe. It refers superficially to their shared penchant for garlic in their cooking (absent in the North), but that is simply for humor; the grouping refers to a shared tendency toward political and economic similarities, which are probably due to shared histories. These are countries that speak Romance languages, are predominantly Roman Catholic, and may be considered to have similar attitudes toward "the social compact", issues such as agricultural policy, family values, employment practices, etc.
Less
