The Sweet Aroma of Fermentation
It was his grand finale. Jing, an Indonesian spice importer, finished his spice presentation and then carefully pulled out a muslin cloth and laid it on the table in front of me.  Peeling back the cloth, I caught a glimpse of the dry, brown skin.  Jing peeled off the fine, husky shell to reveal a soft, molasses colored garlic clove.  “Just smell it!” he urged.

Black garlic smells sweet but upon first taste I had memories of Australian vegemite. Ordinary, white garlic can be transformed into black garlic through a fermentation process that takes about a month.  Fresh, raw garlic undergoes the process of fermentation (exposure to controlled levels of heat and humidity) for three weeks, and then is left to cool and dry for one week. The sharp and pungent garlic flavors disappear, and what is left is a very earthy, meaty mellowness.  It almost gives off a sweet and savory molasses flavor.  Odors are diminished and the texture becomes that of a smooth jam.

What makes it black?  Garlic contains sugars and amino acids. When garlic undergoes fermentation, these elements produce melanoidin, a dark-colored substance that is responsible for the rich, intoxicating color.

I’ve read that black garlic has twice as many antioxidants as raw garlic, but I know it has also lost all the negative qualities: no more bad breath, pungent odor, or acrid bite!  Black garlic also contains S-Allycysteine, which is fancy talk for a natural compound that has been proven to be a factor in cancer prevention.  The best possible side effect?  In Taoism mythology, black garlic was rumored to grant immortality!

Commonly used in Asian cuisine, black garlic’s popularity has begun to spread all over the world.  It is currently a highly coveted ingredient in many high end restaurants in the United States. I have been experimenting with black garlic and chocolate for some time.  It is an important inclusion in our Cheese + Chocolate Gift Box, which studies fermentation of all kinds.  And, you just may find black garlic in a chocolate bar in the future.

Interested in trying it?  Order some here or here.

Tags: black garlic, fermentation, korean garlic

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 8:59 am and is filed under ingredients. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.