Black Garlic
A soft, sweetish product made by holding fresh garlic at controlled heat and humidity for a long time until it darkens. Loses its pungency and takes on a molasses-like, balsamic flavor.
What Is Black Garlic?
Black garlic is a darkened and softened product obtained by aging fresh garlic under controlled heat and humidity for weeks. This process is a kind of slow ripening; the cloves gain a dark brown-black color and a soft, jelly-like texture.
Fresh garlic's sharp, pungent taste disappears through this process, replaced by a sweetish, mild flavor reminiscent of molasses, balsamic vinegar, and pekmez (grape molasses). It is a popular ingredient in gourmet kitchens.
Nutritional Value of Black Garlic
Like fresh garlic, black garlic is used in very small amounts, so its contribution to energy is low; its taste and some compounds change during ripening. Its real value lies in the intense sweetish-umami aroma it brings to dishes.
What Are the Benefits of Black Garlic?
Black garlic can be part of a balanced diet as an ingredient that adds depth and a sweetish umami to dishes; its reduced sharpness also makes it useful raw.
This information is general; black garlic is a food, not a substitute for medical treatment.
How to Choose Black Garlic
Good black garlic should have dark, soft-jelly-like but not watery cloves and a pleasant sweetish smell; specimens that have dried and hardened or smell sour should not be preferred.
- The cloves should be dark, soft-jelly-like
- The smell should be sweetish-balsamic, not sour
- Dried, hardened cloves are undesirable
How to Store Black Garlic
Black garlic is stored with its skin on, in a sealed container, in a cool-dry place or in the refrigerator; thanks to its ripened structure it keeps longer than fresh garlic. It should be protected from a humid environment.
Using Black Garlic in the Kitchen
Black garlic cloves are mashed and used in sauces, marinades, salad dressings, spreads, and mezes; its soft texture can be spread on bread. It adds a sweetish depth to meat dishes, pasta, and sauces.
How Is Black Garlic Used?
The peeled, soft cloves are mashed with a fork and mixed into sauces and marinades, or spread directly on bread and crackers as a meze.
How Is Black Garlic Made?
Whole fresh garlic heads are kept at a low, steady heat (for example, in a warm-held environment) for weeks so they slowly darken and soften; at home this is a long, patience-requiring process.
Which Recipes Is Black Garlic Used With?
Black garlic sauce, marinated meat, salad dressing, mashed meze, and pasta sauces are its best-known uses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is black garlic black?
Natural browning reactions (similar to the Maillard reaction) that occur under prolonged heat and humidity turn garlic dark in color and sweetish in taste.
Is black garlic eaten raw?
Yes; since its sharpness is gone, it can be eaten directly, spread on bread, or added to cold sauces.
What does black garlic taste like?
Sweetish, mild, and intense; it has an umami taste reminiscent of molasses, balsamic vinegar, and plum pekmez.
Is black garlic used instead of fresh garlic?
It doesn't serve the same function; it doesn't provide sharpness, but rather adds a sweetish depth. That's why it is mostly used in addition to fresh garlic or for a different flavor.