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19 February, 2014

Black Garlic



A new discovery has come to light in the West.  It is called Black Garlic.  Black garlic is regular garlic transformed by enzymatic action.  Most people refer to this as fermentation.  However, true fermentation involves sugar and alcohol.  But the transformation of garlic into Black Garlic takes place under controlled conditions of heat, humidity and time.  This process has been patented in the U.S. with the only producer located in California.

The following is excerpted from: Nordic Food Lab (http://nordicfoodlab.org/blog/2013/2/black-garlic)



Black Garlic

An old product. Originally from East Asia. Tastes good everywhere.

The cloves start hard, raw, pungent, white, then transform completely – soft, bold, and black, aromatic but not aggressive, like a sort of fruit with beautiful round acidity, notes of balsamic vinegar, molasses, liquorice, tamarind.

The basic technique is simple – place whole heads in a sealed container and keep at 60˚c for six weeks. One can keep them in for longer and they will mature further, but may also begin to dry out. What is interesting is that the process is not, strictly speaking, fermentative – the transformation is due not to microbial metabolism but in part to enzymatic breakdown (the heat denatures alliinase, the enzyme that converts non-volatile alliin into volatile allicin, the compound responsible for fresh garlic's pungency) and in part to the Maillard Reaction, a cascade of chemical reactions that produce the dark colour and complex, carmelised flavour.[i] The sulfurous compounds may also contribute to its anti-microbial properties in its blackened form.

Foods like this invite a larger discussion about the different degrees of 'fermentation' as a category. A biochemist might stick to the purest technical definition of the anaerobic conversion of glucose into ethanol and carbon dioxide (C6H12O6 → 2 C2H5OH + 2 CO2), while on the other end of the spectrum, a common understanding of fermentation might also include transformations due solely to chemical and enzymatic activity, even though they look, smell, and taste 'fermented' – like black garlic. We and others sit somewhere in the middle, understanding fermentation in the practicable sense as any interaction with microorganisms – bacteria, yeasts, and other fungi – with the purpose of transforming foods.

The principle may be simple, but like any process, the best results lie in obsessing over the details: here, controlling variations in temperature and humidity over time. We are continuing to tweak to discover the best possible product.

In addition to the garlic, we have been experimenting with other alliaceous bulbs. Onions, shallots, it works with them all. Shallots reveal their latent fragrant sweetness; onions intensify into bombs of savouriness; all become tinged with this dark, tart depth.

These larger bulbs work especially well in broths, a particularly effec
tive way to make a rich, full, dark stock. It also works well in broths with umami-bringing ingredients, like dried aged seaweeds and cured aged meats. And it is satisfying and dramatic with any fermented dairy product – creamy and fleshy, lactic and fruity, white and black.

Some of the cloves we dried and ground to a powder, adding them to salad dressings, sauces, and sprinkled on any number of things. The softer ones we passed through a sieve and pulled into a paste.

This one is best slathered on crisp toast with skyr, or on its own by the spoonful.

References
[i] Wang, Danan et al. Black Garlic (Allium sativum) Extracts Enhance the Immune System. Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology. 4 (1), 37-40. Global Science Books 2010.

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Current Facts


Black garlic is not a garlic variety, rather garlic in an aged state. Because garlic contains sugars and amino acids, when garlic undergoes fermentation, these elements produce melanoidin, a dark-colored substance that is responsible for the color of Black garlic. The garlic is placed in extreme heat within a fermentation process lasting one month. It is then cooled and dried for another week. The method of aging garlic has been patented within the United States. The patent is titled "Process for preparing aged garlic" and cites the use of specially designed machines and environmentally controlled temperatures to achieve the black garlic state.

Description/Taste


Black garlic has the immediate appearance of an aged, almost burnt garlic bulb, its cloves loosely held within its indented browned outer wrapper. Inside a Black garlic bulb's wrapper of aged paper-thin skin are opal black cloves with the jellied texture of fresh dried fruit. The individual cloves have a savory sweet taste, a pleasant molasses undertone with a subtle hint of a soy sauce creating the complex flavor of umami.

Nutritional Value


Aging garlic at a constant temperature and humidity without adding any additives to raw garlic, increases polyphenol compound presence. Thus, aged Black garlic exerts stronger antioxidant effect compared to raw garlic, without decreasing the original effectiveness of the garlic.

Applications


Black garlic makes rich and complex purees and sauces. It can also be made into a butter compound, sauteed in oil, chopped or diced and added directly to pizzas, pastas, rice and legume based dishes. Black garlic pairs well with mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese, roasted pork, sausages, grilled white fish and shellfish, smoked meats, ginger, chiles, herbs such as basil and cilantro, truffles and sesame oil.

Ethnic/Cultural Info


Black garlic is unrelated to the ornamental plant Allium nigrum nor a genetically unique six-clove garlic also called Black garlic.

Geography/History


Black garlic is a modern form of garlic that was first introduced into the culinary market in the early 21st Century. Original fermentation methods included keeping the garlic in earthenware containers in caves or other cool areas for a few months. Some techniques involve air drying the garlic for an average of forty days over aged soy sauce, which explains the soy sauce taste. Black garlic is produced in Japan, China, Korea and California. - See more at: http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Black_Garlic_6248.php#sthash.Ab60hq3N.dpuf

Current Facts


Black garlic is not a garlic variety, rather garlic in an aged state. Because garlic contains sugars and amino acids, when garlic undergoes fermentation, these elements produce melanoidin, a dark-colored substance that is responsible for the color of Black garlic. The garlic is placed in extreme heat within a fermentation process lasting one month. It is then cooled and dried for another week. The method of aging garlic has been patented within the United States. The patent is titled "Process for preparing aged garlic" and cites the use of specially designed machines and environmentally controlled temperatures to achieve the black garlic state.

Description/Taste


Black garlic has the immediate appearance of an aged, almost burnt garlic bulb, its cloves loosely held within its indented browned outer wrapper. Inside a Black garlic bulb's wrapper of aged paper-thin skin are opal black cloves with the jellied texture of fresh dried fruit. The individual cloves have a savory sweet taste, a pleasant molasses undertone with a subtle hint of a soy sauce creating the complex flavor of umami.

Nutritional Value


Aging garlic at a constant temperature and humidity without adding any additives to raw garlic, increases polyphenol compound presence. Thus, aged Black garlic exerts stronger antioxidant effect compared to raw garlic, without decreasing the original effectiveness of the garlic.

Applications


Black garlic makes rich and complex purees and sauces. It can also be made into a butter compound, sauteed in oil, chopped or diced and added directly to pizzas, pastas, rice and legume based dishes. Black garlic pairs well with mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese, roasted pork, sausages, grilled white fish and shellfish, smoked meats, ginger, chiles, herbs such as basil and cilantro, truffles and sesame oil.

Ethnic/Cultural Info


Black garlic is unrelated to the ornamental plant Allium nigrum nor a genetically unique six-clove garlic also called Black garlic.

Geography/History


Black garlic is a modern form of garlic that was first introduced into the culinary market in the early 21st Century. Original fermentation methods included keeping the garlic in earthenware containers in caves or other cool areas for a few months. Some techniques involve air drying the garlic for an average of forty days over aged soy sauce, which explains the soy sauce taste. Black garlic is produced in Japan, China, Korea and California. - See more at: http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Black_Garlic_6248.php#sthash.Ab60hq3N.dpuf

Current Facts


Black garlic is not a garlic variety, rather garlic in an aged state. Because garlic contains sugars and amino acids, when garlic undergoes fermentation, these elements produce melanoidin, a dark-colored substance that is responsible for the color of Black garlic. The garlic is placed in extreme heat within a fermentation process lasting one month. It is then cooled and dried for another week. The method of aging garlic has been patented within the United States. The patent is titled "Process for preparing aged garlic" and cites the use of specially designed machines and environmentally controlled temperatures to achieve the black garlic state.

Description/Taste


Black garlic has the immediate appearance of an aged, almost burnt garlic bulb, its cloves loosely held within its indented browned outer wrapper. Inside a Black garlic bulb's wrapper of aged paper-thin skin are opal black cloves with the jellied texture of fresh dried fruit. The individual cloves have a savory sweet taste, a pleasant molasses undertone with a subtle hint of a soy sauce creating the complex flavor of umami.

Nutritional Value


Aging garlic at a constant temperature and humidity without adding any additives to raw garlic, increases polyphenol compound presence. Thus, aged Black garlic exerts stronger antioxidant effect compared to raw garlic, without decreasing the original effectiveness of the garlic.

Applications


Black garlic makes rich and complex purees and sauces. It can also be made into a butter compound, sauteed in oil, chopped or diced and added directly to pizzas, pastas, rice and legume based dishes. Black garlic pairs well with mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese, roasted pork, sausages, grilled white fish and shellfish, smoked meats, ginger, chiles, herbs such as basil and cilantro, truffles and sesame oil.

Ethnic/Cultural Info


Black garlic is unrelated to the ornamental plant Allium nigrum nor a genetically unique six-clove garlic also called Black garlic.

Geography/History


Black garlic is a modern form of garlic that was first introduced into the culinary market in the early 21st Century. Original fermentation methods included keeping the garlic in earthenware containers in caves or other cool areas for a few months. Some techniques involve air drying the garlic for an average of forty days over aged soy sauce, which explains the soy sauce taste. Black garlic is produced in Japan, China, Korea and California. - See more at: http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Black_Garlic_6248.php#sthash.Ab60hq3N.dpuf

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