Black Garlic: An Ingredient's Recipe

Black Garlic

An Ingredient's Recipe

Black Garlic? Sounds weird right but guess what? This is a legitimate ingredient and has been used and consumed for over 4000 years in Asian cultures. I bet some of you already have this fermented delight in your food pantry already. Regardless, in this blog i'll let you all know everything important about this ingredient. Especially its recipe. So keep calm and read through.

When a fresh garlic bulb is made to age over a tenure of weeks or months, we get black garlic. It is aged through a process called the Millard's Reaction. It is this process that gives the black garlic its mildly sweet, molasses-like taste a comparatively soft, delicate texture. These properties make this ingredient a great alternative to use with cheese, in pizzas, to make condiments like aioli and many more. 

During Millard's Reaction, reducing sugars and amino acids react chemically hence reducing the allicin content which is comparatively higher in raw garlic. However, these changes do not tend to alter all the nutritional benefits that one usually gets from garlic. Although not all Asian cuisines use this particular ingredient, it is popularly found in Thai, Japanese, Korean and Chinese dishes. 

The procedure to make this versatile is time consuming but easy. To make this it is important to be patient and trust the process. The most reliable method of ageing the garlic is to do it in a slow pressure cooker or more preferably a rice cooker. There will be a whole lot of garlic smell if you decide on making it but nonetheless I promise it will be worth the super-sweet outcome.

Recipe 

Ingredients

• Whole garlic bulbs (Do not peel or separate)

Method

• Dust the whole garlic bulbs of any dust on it.
• Heat your pressure cooker to a warm temperature and then place your garlic bulbs in it. Add only a few at a time to avoid overcrowding. 
• Till the cloves are black and soft, about 2 to 3 weeks, leave the bulbs unattended without any external interruption, also making the sure that the temperature is constant throughout. To do so, it is best to have an electrical rice cooker which will itself make sure the temperature is the same when kept at the warm setting.
• Once ready, store in an airtight container and use as required.

When compared to fresh garlic, black garlic has a higher amount of antioxidants that aid in the body's defense against dangerous free radicals, shielding cells from oxidative stress and potentially lowering the risk chronic illnesses including heart diseases and certain types of cancer. 

According to historical accounts, black garlic was utilized on Korea's Goryeo Dynasty (918 - 1392) for both culinary and therapeutic purposes. "Heuk-maek" is the Korean word for black garlic. Traditionally, it was produced by burying whole garlic bulbs after storing it in clay pots. They would leave the garlic for several weeks or even months, patiently waiting for the blackened, sweet cloves with a unique flavor and aroma. It is a labor and time-intensive process. 

And lastly, for those of you who may want to try out this ingredient without going through the process of making it, here are some options where you may find it:

• Online Retailers: Amazon, Flipkart and BigBasket are some E-Commerce platforms that may help you get this ingredient subject to availability.
• Specialty Food Stores that cater to gourmet and international ingredients.
• Food Trade Expos: Occasionally, black garlic is one of the products of food exhibits, trade shows and culinary events. 

To conclude, this ingredient has most definitely become a culinary treat and nutritional powerhouse. It is a beneficial complement to a balanced diet due to its higher antioxidant content, sulfur compounds, heart health support, and prebiotic qualities. Black garlic offers a distinctive and alluring approach to improve both, your culinary creations and also your personal well being. 

I hope its rich history and growing popularity inspires you to explore its culinary and nutritional potential. Whether you're tossing it with roasted vegetables, mixing it with your sauces or probably even discovering a new, better way to use it. Try it all! 

Thanks again for being patient and reading through. I hope this blog was everything that you expected. Once again it's time to say goodbye but i'll be back soon with one more blog on some other ingredient. Until then, have a great week.

Signing off, 

Paridhi :)