While black garlic may not look appetizing, this culinary seasoning should be treasured.

Delicious and nutritious, aged garlic  adds a burst of rich flavour that elevates just about any dish and it’s sodium free.  And no, it doesn’t taste like regular garlic. 

Black garlic is made from raw garlic that’s been aged under very specific  conditions  to  promote the Maillard reaction. This natural reaction is a chemical process that occurs between sugar molecules and  amino acids and produces  caramelization.  In foods, the Maillard reaction results in the creation of hundreds of different flavour  creating familiar compounds like seared or roasted meat, toasted bread, caramelized onions, caramel, beer, chocolate, coffee and maple syrup.

In black garlic, the process turns the raw garlic cloves into an inky-black colour and changes the texture into a date-like consistency. The process  brings out a rich, unique flavour which results in a  mild, sweet and earthy taste, with notes of plum — without the bitter burn of  raw garlic. 

Softer and sweeter than raw garlic, black garlic can be added to all sorts of dishes like flavoured dips, compound butters , mixed into ground beef for burgers or bolognese, used as a topping for pizza or simply spread across a toasted loaf of bread and warmed in the oven like garlic bread. 

Black garlic works wonders in sauces, salad dressings, condiments, sautéed dishes, soups, grilled meats, and tons of other savoury preparations. It’s also an excellent addition to sweet treats like donuts, cookies and cakes, or recipes that call for maple syrup. It  pairs perfectly with chocolatey or buttery desserts. And, there are multiple forms you can use when adding black garlic to a recipe: diced cloves of black garlic in your cookies, black garlic powder in your frostings  and as a puree for bbq meat rubs.Black garlic is perfect for  infusing flavour into less-indulgent foods such as unseasoned chicken breast or plain vegetables. It packs so much flavour, there is no need  to add excess fat, salt, or sugar for flavour.  And,  it’s sodium-free and can be used as a great  substitute salt.

Black garlic is a low moisture, dried ingredient.  It should be stored in a cool, dark place in your cupboard.  Once a clove is opened the black garlic can be refrigerated for several weeks.

Health Benefits

The heath benefits of black garlic are impressive.  Not only is black garlic wildly delicious, black garlic contains about twice as many antioxidants as raw garlic, including one called s-allycysteine. A sizeable number of pharmacological studies discovered that aged garlic extract and its constituents have antioxidant, anti-aging, immune-enhancing, heart protective, and liver protective properties. It can also help prevent tumour and allergic reactions.

One tablespoon (15 grams, 0.5 ounces) of black garlic contains 35 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of sodium, 8 grams of carbohydrate, and 1 gram of protein.