Black garlic (food)

Black garlic is a type of "caramelized" garlic (in reality, browned by the Maillard reaction rather than truly caramelized) first used as a food ingredient in Asian cuisine. It is made by heating whole bulbs of garlic (Allium sativum) over the course of several weeks, a process that results in black cloves. The taste is sweet and syrupy with hints of balsamic vinegar or tamarind. Black garlic's popularity has spread to the United States as it has become a sought-after ingredient used in high-end cuisine.

The process of producing black garlic is sometimes incorrectly referred to as fermentation, but it does not in fact involve microbial action. Black garlic is made when heads of garlic are aged under specialized conditions of heat and humidity. Bulbs are kept in a humidity-controlled environment at temperatures that range from 140 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit (60 - 77ºC) for 14 to 40 days. There are no additives, preservatives, or burning of any kind. The enzymes that give fresh garlic its sharpness break down. Those conditions also facilitate the Maillard reaction, the chemical process that produces new flavor compounds responsible for the deep taste of seared meat and fried onions, the cloves turn black and develop a sticky date-like texture.

In Taoist mythology, black garlic was rumored to grant immortality. In Korea, black garlic was developed as a health product and it is still perceived as health supplementary food. Black garlic is prized as a food rich in antioxidants and added to energy drinks, and in Thailand is claimed to increase the consumer's longevity. It is also used to make black garlic chocolate.

It was written up in the Spring 2008 "Design and Living" special section of The New York Times as a "new staple" of modern cuisine (and incorporated into a recipe, "Black Garlic Roast Chicken"); the NYT author, Merrill Stubbs, noted it was being used by chef Bruce Hill of Bix Restaurant, San Francisco. Matthias Merges, executive chef at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago, listed black garlic as one of his top five food finds in Restaurant News in December 2008. The rise of black garlic in the US was called "sensational," and other trade publications besides Restaurant News have noticed the trend.

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Wikipedia