Black garlic (food)
Encyclopedia
Black garlic is a type of fermented
garlic
used as a food ingredient in Asian cuisine
. It is made by fermenting whole bulbs of garlic at high temperature, a process that results in black cloves. The taste is sweet and syrupy with hints of balsamic vinegar
or even tamarind
. Black garlic's popularity has spread to the United States
as it has become a sought-after ingredient used in high-end cuisine. It is unrelated to a genetically unique six-clove garlic also called black garlic and used in countries such as Korea
, or with the ornamental plant Allium nigrum
.
s and added to energy drink
s, and in Thailand is claimed to increase the consumer's longevity. One interesting use is in the making of black garlic chocolate.
In the United States black garlic entered the mainstream in 2008 when Le Sanctuaire in San Francisco began selling black garlic. It was written up in the Spring 2008 "Design and Living" special section of The New York Times
as a "new staple" of modern cuisine (and incorporated into a recipe, "Black Garlic Roast Chicken"); the NYT author, Merrill Stubbs, noted it was being used by chef Bruce Hill of Bix Restaurant, San Francisco. Hill soon found his way to the entrepreneur Scott Kim, who in 2005 had started to import garlic from Jeju Island, Korea, to process in the United States. Scott Kim started the company Black Garlic, Inc. in 2008 and started producing black garlic in Hayward, California. Scott Kim's Black Garlic, Inc. is the only black garlic manufactured in the United States. He ferments garlic for a month, at low temperature, and sells them throughout the United States. Black garlic's fame grew from there. Soon, Matthias Merges, executive chef at Charlie Trotter
's in Chicago
, listed black garlic as one of his top five food finds in Restaurant News in December 2008. The rise of black garlic in the US was called "sensational," and other trade publications besides Restaurant News have noticed the trend.
It garnered television attention when it was used in battle redfish
on Iron Chef America
, episode 11 of season 7 (on Food Network
), and in an episode of Top Chef New York
(on Bravo), where it was added to a sauce accompanying monkfish
.
In 2008, Black Garlic, Inc. made partnership with Katy Heath for black garlic distribution in Europe. Both companies formed Black Garlic, LTD and now distribute black garlic in the U.K. and other European nations. The use of black garlic is also growing in England
, where it made its TV debut on the BBC
's Something for the Weekend
cooking and lifestyle program in February 2009.
In July 2009, black garlic was introduced into Australia by Oliveria, a store in Melbourne. Black garlic can now be found in selected markets across Australia such as the Prahran and Victoria markets and in the US at Whole Foods Market
.
In 2011, it was used on an episode of Food Network's Chopped. In September 2011, it was a mandatory ingredient in the final round of the second episode of Ron Ben-Israel
's Sweet Genius.
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
used as a food ingredient in Asian cuisine
Asian cuisine
Asian cuisine styles can be broken down into several tiny regional styles that have roots in the peoples and cultures of those regions. The major types can be roughly defined as East Asian with its origins in Imperial China and now encompassing modern Japan and the Korean peninsula; Southeast Asian...
. It is made by fermenting whole bulbs of garlic at high temperature, a process that results in black cloves. The taste is sweet and syrupy with hints of balsamic vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Balsamic vinegar is a condiment originating from Italy.The original traditional product , made from a reduction of cooked white Trebbiano grape juice and not a vinegar in the usual sense, has been made in Modena and Reggio Emilia since the Middle Ages: the production of the balsamic vinegar is...
or even tamarind
Tamarind
Tamarind is a tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic .-Origin:...
. Black garlic's popularity has spread to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as it has become a sought-after ingredient used in high-end cuisine. It is unrelated to a genetically unique six-clove garlic also called black garlic and used in countries such as Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, or with the ornamental plant Allium nigrum
Allium nigrum
Allium nigrum is an ornamental plant in the Alliaceae family.-External links:* photo*...
.
History
In Korea, black garlic was introduced as a health product and it is still perceived as health supplementary food. Black Garlic is prized as a food rich in antioxidantAntioxidant
An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When...
s and added to energy drink
Energy drink
Energy drinks are beverages whose producers advertise that they "boost energy." These advertisements usually do not emphasize energy derived from the sugar and caffeine they contain but rather increased energy release due to a variety of stimulants and vitamins....
s, and in Thailand is claimed to increase the consumer's longevity. One interesting use is in the making of black garlic chocolate.
In the United States black garlic entered the mainstream in 2008 when Le Sanctuaire in San Francisco began selling black garlic. It was written up in the Spring 2008 "Design and Living" special section of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
as a "new staple" of modern cuisine (and incorporated into a recipe, "Black Garlic Roast Chicken"); the NYT author, Merrill Stubbs, noted it was being used by chef Bruce Hill of Bix Restaurant, San Francisco. Hill soon found his way to the entrepreneur Scott Kim, who in 2005 had started to import garlic from Jeju Island, Korea, to process in the United States. Scott Kim started the company Black Garlic, Inc. in 2008 and started producing black garlic in Hayward, California. Scott Kim's Black Garlic, Inc. is the only black garlic manufactured in the United States. He ferments garlic for a month, at low temperature, and sells them throughout the United States. Black garlic's fame grew from there. Soon, Matthias Merges, executive chef at Charlie Trotter
Charlie Trotter
Charlie Trotter is a chef and restaurateur.-Biography:A graduate of New Trier High School, Trotter started cooking professionally in 1982 after earning a degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. For the next 5 years, he worked and studied in Chicago, San Francisco at...
's in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, listed black garlic as one of his top five food finds in Restaurant News in December 2008. The rise of black garlic in the US was called "sensational," and other trade publications besides Restaurant News have noticed the trend.
It garnered television attention when it was used in battle redfish
Redfish
Redfish is a common name for several species of fish. It is most commonly applied to members of the deep-sea genus Sebastes, or the reef dwelling snappers, Lutjanus. It is also applied to the slimeheads or roughies , and the alfonsinos ....
on Iron Chef America
Iron Chef America
Iron Chef America: The Series is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's Iron Chef, and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed Iron Chef USA. The show is produced by Food Network, which also carried a dubbed version of the original Iron Chef. Like the...
, episode 11 of season 7 (on Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
), and in an episode of Top Chef New York
Top Chef (season 5)
Top Chef: New York is the fifth season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in New York City, New York, and concluded in New Orleans, Louisiana...
(on Bravo), where it was added to a sauce accompanying monkfish
Monkfish
Monkfish is the English name of a number of types of fish in the northwest Atlantic, most notably the species of the anglerfish genus Lophius and the angelshark genus Squatina...
.
In 2008, Black Garlic, Inc. made partnership with Katy Heath for black garlic distribution in Europe. Both companies formed Black Garlic, LTD and now distribute black garlic in the U.K. and other European nations. The use of black garlic is also growing in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where it made its TV debut on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Something for the Weekend
Something for the Weekend (2000s BBC TV series)
Something for the Weekend is a British television series, broadcast on BBC Two on Sunday mornings. It features cookery, drinks, interviews with celebrity guests and clips from the week's television, as well as classic clips in the 'Deja View' section...
cooking and lifestyle program in February 2009.
In July 2009, black garlic was introduced into Australia by Oliveria, a store in Melbourne. Black garlic can now be found in selected markets across Australia such as the Prahran and Victoria markets and in the US at Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market is a foods supermarket chain based in Austin, Texas which emphasizes "natural and organic products." The company has been ranked among the most socially responsible businesses and placed third on the U.S...
.
In 2011, it was used on an episode of Food Network's Chopped. In September 2011, it was a mandatory ingredient in the final round of the second episode of Ron Ben-Israel
Ron Ben-Israel
Ron Ben-Israel is the executive chef and owner of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes in New York City. He is known for his wedding and special occasion cakes and for his detail in sugar paste flowers.- Career :...
's Sweet Genius.