Treat of the Day: Black Garlic

I had heard of black garlic in the U.S., but had never encountered it personally.  Around 2008 is when the product entered the trendy American culinary world, though it has been used in Asian kitchens for decades, if not centuries. 

Black garlic is created when ordinary garlic is kept in an environment at high temperatures (80 degrees C) and high humidity (at least 85%) for about 2 months. This process creates a Maillard reaction which serves to caramelize the garlic which softens it, turns it black, and completely breaks down the natural harshness of raw garlic.

When cooking with black garlic one must be very careful because it is very delicate and its flavor can be easily lost in a dish if cooked too long and it is easily overwhelmed by other ingredients.  I have found that it is nice to whisk some through a basic vinaigrette I might be making. It is also tasty to stir a few cloves through some hot water (not boiling!) and then add the mixture to your mashed potatoes when finishing them. Or mix it through some mayonnaise to make a delicious aioli.

You probably would never guess my favorite use for black garlic. I love to eat it raw like candy! It is like a sweet, carmelized garlic gummy bear. Seriously! 

Because crafting black garlic is a lengthy, costly process, it is an expensive product, even the bags I purchase from local Indonesian companies are costly, but it is a splurge well worth it.




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