Today, on the Culinary Exchange, we thought we’d shake things up and focus on a more obscure food that you probably haven’t heard of: black garlic. What is black garlic? Where does it come from? Why is it black? How do you cook with it? Those are all great questions that are likely swimming around in your head, since black garlic isn’t nearly as prevalent in the kitchen as its more commonplace cousin, regular garlic.
What is Black Garlic?
To start, let’s talk about what black garlic actually is. It’s not some variation on garlic that grows in some remote location. No, it’s actually regular ‘ole garlic that’s been modified by heating it for several weeks, which turns the individual cloves a dark black color.
Heating garlic to create black garlic was first popularized in Asia as part of Asian cuisine. It’s used as a sort of health supplement in Asia and is thought to have a high level of antioxidants and contribute to a longer life. While there’s no actual study that confirms its ability to grant immortality, black garlic is a really fun ingredient to use if only for the difference in taste that you get.
Black garlic has an almost sweet taste to it. Many people liken it to the spice, tamarind, or to balsamic vinegar. While normal raw garlic is very strong and pungent, raw black garlic has a bit of a softer flavor – you can actually chew it up and eat it raw if you want. Because the flavor is so versatile, it can be used in sweet or savory dishes and because it’s not readily available in most supermarkets (I mean, when was the last time you saw black garlic at your local grocer?), it’s generally used in high-end restaurants as an exotic ingredient. You can, however, find black garlic online (don’t be surprised at the sticker shock, though. It’s not cheap).
How Should I Use Black Garlic?
Black garlic can work in a range of dishes as an ingredient to enhance or change the flavors. For instance, roasting vegetables with black garlic instead of regular garlic can give your veggies a more earthy and savory taste.
One of the more interesting ways to use black garlic, however, is to puree it with olive oil and maybe a dash of salt and use it as a base for salad dressings and sauces. You can even make some delicious marinades using this method. Aside from that, some people like to grind black garlic into a powder to use as a dry seasoning on dishes and on meats. In sweet dishes, it’s been used from everything from chocolate to ice cream – really!
Have you ever tried black garlic? If so, how was it cooked? Share your food experiences with us in the comments!
