Our 5 Favorite Black Garlic Recipes | GradFood (2024)

Our 5 Favorite Black Garlic Recipes | GradFood (1)

Keep reading to get to our 5 Favorite Black Garlic Recipes. But first, we thought we would provide you with an overview of this unique and mysterious ingredient. We’ll teach you what black garlic is all about, where to find black garlic (or make it yourself!), and how to use black garlic in your cooking.

What is Black Garlic?

While some people say that it is fermented garlic, this is technically incorrect. It is fresh regular garlic (Allium sativum) that is slowly caramelized (which uses the Maillard reaction) over a period of weeks at low temperature and humidity.

In doing so, it creates a really unique color, texture, and taste. Note that black garlic is not actually burnt but just gets a deep dark black color due to the caramelization process.

When and where was it invented?

Some claim that it originated from Korea ~2004. Others say that it has actually been used culinarily for centuries in regions of Thailand, Korea, and Japan. Regardless, its popularity has grown into a worldwide culinary phenomenon.

It is featured on cooking shows like Top Chef, Chopped, and Iron Chef. You will now find its use in many high end restaurants around the globe.

What does Black Garlic taste like

Black garlic retains some garlic smell but its taste is slightly sweeter than regular garlic (it reminds me of a balsamic reduction or tamarind paste).

After trying a taste of black garlic for the first time with a delicious black garlic ramen, we found and bought some ourselves. Since then, we have been busy experimenting with it, resulting in the 5 unique black garlic recipes that we have shared with you today.

Health Benefits

Black garlic has been postulated to have wide-ranging health benefits, even beyond those of regular garlic. It is difficult to definitively prove claims (correlation is not causation) of specific health benefits in humans (so take this with a grain of salt).

Nonetheless, in rodent studies, black garlic seemed to prevent obesity, lower lipid levels, and have hepatoprotective effects.

Where to get Black Garlic

Back in the day, you could only find black garlic in niche stores for exorbitant prices. However, nowadays you can get it only for fairly cheap. Here’s alinkto where we bought ours on Amazon. Easy peasy!

Our 5 Favorite Black Garlic Recipes | GradFood (2)

How to Make Black Garlic Yourself

As discussed above, the process to make black garlic is fairly long and, from what we’ve heard, quite smelly. You basically let garlic sit in your rice cooker or slow cooker for weeks to months.

Meanwhile, it coats the entire room/house in a thick garlic odor. Since for our sake and our neighbors (we live in an apartment), we opted to just buy some black garlic rather than try making it ourselves.

However, if you do want to try making it yourself, go for it! You’ll find that there are a variety of tutorials demonstrating a number of methods to making homemade black garlic. Unfortunately, it appears that some do not produce the same end result as others so make sure to do your research before trying!

Here are a few links to other sites if you’re interested in trying to make it yourself.

Recipes for Homemade Black Garlic

Cooking with Black Garlic

This ingredient can become a unique and versatile ingredient in your pantry. You can use black garlic similarly to how you would use regular garlic but keep in mind that it tends to be more mushy and sweet/tangy than regular garlic.

You can blend it into a paste such as hummus, blend it into a black garlic puree, mince it up into tiny pieces for recipes like the current one, or even just spread it on bread for a new take on garlic bread.

Now that you’ve become an expert in all things black garlic after reading this article, let’s proceed with our recipes as promised.

Our 5 Favorite Black Garlic Recipes

2) Black Garlic Drizzled Caprese Salad

3) Creamy Black Garlic Chicken

5) Smashed Potatoes with Black Garlic Sauce

Bon Appetit!

We hope you enjoyed learning about black garlic as much as we did! So go ahead and try a few of these delicious recipes yourself to elevate your home cooking game and expand your culinary repertoire.

What do you think?

Let us know what you think in the comments below. Have you tried making homemade black garlic? Do you have a particular favorite black garlic dish?

Recommended Amazon Products for these Recipes:

Our 5 Favorite Black Garlic Recipes | GradFood (8)
Our 5 Favorite Black Garlic Recipes | GradFood (9)
Our 5 Favorite Black Garlic Recipes | GradFood (10)
Our 5 Favorite Black Garlic Recipes | GradFood (11)

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Our 5 Favorite Black Garlic Recipes | GradFood (2024)

FAQs

What are the side effects of black garlic? ›

Using black garlic in large amounts may cause an anticoagulant effect, which could be problematic for certain people who already have blood clotting issues or use anticoagulant drugs. It can cause excessive bleeding following surgery.

How much black garlic should you eat a day? ›

How to eat black garlic correctly? According to doctors, each day can eat one to three lonely black garlic, equivalent to 3-5 grams; when eating should chew carefully so that the ingredients promote their use; Do not exceed the dose because it can cause adverse reactions and side effects.

Should black garlic be refrigerated? ›

Black garlic that is bought from a store can be stored at room temperature until the package is opened, then it should be refrigerated. However you store it, It is important to regularly check for signs of spoilage, such as mold, and to discard it if it appears to have gone bad.

How and when to eat black garlic? ›

You may also find that you enjoy eating black garlic on its own since it's milder than raw garlic. Black garlic has a milder, sweeter flavor compared to that of raw garlic. You can add it to pastas, soups, or stir fries; blend it into oils; or mix it into dips and sauces.

Is black garlic anti inflammatory? ›

In addition, the phytochemicals contained in it have antiproliferative and antiangiogenic properties and inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Black garlic is a valuable source of biologically active substances that can support anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer therapy.

Can black garlic cause high blood pressure? ›

A new study has shown that aged black garlic extract can be used to relieve high blood pressure in people with Grade-1 hypertension who are already receiving prescribed drug treatment.

Does black garlic affect blood pressure? ›

It was concluded that low-dose SAC supplementation in an optimized black-garlic extract allows for an extra-significant reduction in blood pressure in a Grade I hypertensive population receiving drug treatment.

Is black garlic healthier than regular garlic? ›

Contains more antioxidants

Antioxidants are substances that protect your cells from free radicals (molecules that play a role in many conditions like heart disease or cancer). Black garlic contains two to three times more antioxidants than raw garlic as a result of the fermentation process.

How long does it take black garlic to work? ›

The process of making black garlic is less difficult than it is long. It can be aged for up to 60 days but will be ready to use after three weeks. There are quite a few DIY methods, but the best approach without additional kitchenware is to age your bulbs in a slow cooker or rice cooker.

Can black garlic help with weight loss? ›

Weight Loss: Some compounds found in black garlic, such as allicin, may have a positive impact on metabolism. A faster metabolism can help the body burn calories more efficiently, which can lead to weight management. Heart Health: Some studies suggest that black garlic may positively impact cardiovascular health.

Can you buy black garlic in the grocery store? ›

Black Garlic can be purchased at select retail stores including Whole Foods Market.

What is so special about black garlic? ›

Black garlic contains more antioxidants than regular garlic. It also has more of a compound called S-Allylcysteine (SAC). SAC helps the body to absorb allicin. With a greater concentration, black garlic may be more effective at helping your body get the benefits that allicin provides.

Can you eat black garlic raw? ›

Black Garlic cloves are mild and sweet enough to just eat the cloves right out of the bulbs without worrying about that intense garlic breath. It's one of our favorite ways to eat it! Check out our links to some great recipes people have made using black garlic.

Why is my black garlic bitter? ›

(Black garlic-making consensus is that too-high a temperature will age garlic faster but can result in a bitter and sour bulb. Slow is the way to go, just like the best winter stews.)

Does black garlic taste different than regular garlic? ›

One of the first things that you will notice about black garlic vs white garlic is that the darker variety has a distinct lack of aroma, as compared to its pale relative. Because the darker variety has basically been caramelized and fermented, it has a much sweeter, milder taste than its white counterpart.

Should I cook black garlic? ›

Unlike white garlic, it doesn't need long, slow cooking to soften the acrid bite, so can be added at any stage of the cooking process. Rich in umami, Black Garlic works well in tandem with similarly savoury ingredients, particularly red meat.

What do you put black garlic seasoning on? ›

This easy-to-use condiment can be added by the spoonful to soups, stews, sauces, and salad dressings. Shopping: Black garlic pastes and purées are often made with oil and salt, so check the packaging to be sure the paste you choose is pure black garlic with no additives.

Why is black garlic better for you? ›

Black garlic contains twice as many antioxidants as standard white garlic. It is also rich in valuable amino acids, the building blocks of protein in the body. However, during the cooking process, the high levels of allicin which are found in uncooked garlic are largely lost.

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