Based in the sunny Tasman region of New Zealand, husband-and-wife duo Noël and Teena produce a gourmet range of black garlic with exceptional flavour.
What is the difference between black garlic and regular garlic?
The difference is in the flavour since black garlic actually begins life as regular white garlic. Black garlic has been a part of Asian diets for hundreds of years. It is made by slow-cooking white garlic for weeks at a time. Our black garlic starts life as New Zealand grown white garlic. It is slow-cooked for 6-8 weeks. During that time the garlic slowly caramelises through to black. It is important to know that nothing is added during the cooking process.
What does black garlic taste like?
Because it is the garlic sugars that have caramelised, black garlic is sweet and savoury all at the same time. It is a deep, rich umami flavour. Good black garlic will have notes of caramel, balsamic and tamarind.
Is it true that you won’t get garlic breath? How?
Yes, this is one of the best things about black garlic! The flavour will sit on your tongue for a bit, but it won’t stay on your breath. The compounds that cause garlic breath are cooked out at the start of the cooking process. The temperature used is low, around 70°C, so the goodness naturally inherent in garlic is still retained.
What delicious ideas do you have for eating black garlic?
One of the easiest ways to enjoy black garlic is on a cheeseboard. Open the jar and spread it on a cracker with your favourite cheese. For breakfast try some black garlic on your avocado toast or even stir a bit through your scrambled eggs. It is a versatile ingredient that adds flavour to such a variety of dishes. If you add it to a stir fry or bolognese sauce, add it near the end of the cooking process. You can still use regular garlic as you normally would, but try adding black garlic to your favourite dishes for a deep rich flavour that only black garlic can give.
The world-renowned chef Ottolenghi says that black garlic should be one of the 10 staples in a kitchen that cares about flavour. We couldn’t agree more!
