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Black Garlic, Ajo negro
What is black garlic?
Black garlic not only looks weird, but it also tastes different than expected. It also costs a lot more than regular garlic from the supermarket. Is it worth it? Yes, definitely because it has many advantages and a great taste.
From the outside, black garlic looks like regular garlic. Only when you cut it open can you see its unusually black toes. They appear charred, and you might assume they are dry and dusty. But they are not at all. They have a soft and, at the same time, firm structure. You can crush it between your fingers. It takes much effort to try them because they look entirely different from the inside than what we expect.
How does black garlic taste?
Black garlic tastes surprisingly sweet and fruity and not at all spicy, as we know it from white garlic. It tastes like licorice, and its fruity taste is reminiscent of plums, combined with a very light garlic aroma. Simply delicious.
Benefits of black garlic
White garlic is spicy, and it contains essential oils that are strong in smell and after consuming garlic, the breath and skin smell of it. It is not the case with black garlic. The breath smells quite usual after consumption. So it is not only delicious, but it also does not leave the typical garlic odor. This smell disappears during production.
Black garlic is also good for your health. It is said in naturopathy that it is a natural antibiotic and reduces stress.
But let's go back to the beginning. What is garlic? From where does it come?
They believe that garlic (Allium sativum) originated in Central Asia. It belongs to the salmon family (Alliaceae) and is, therefore, a perennial with an onion bulb up to 10 cm thick (the garlic we know). The genus Allium consists of over 600 known species, including Allium porrum (leek), Allium cepa (onion), and Allium schoenoprasum (chives).
Today we use garlic as a spice all over the world. It was not always so. Some cultures refused to use this herb because of the bad breath it left behind. At that time, peasants and proletarians' cuisine seasoned with it, but not that of Rome's upper class. In ancient Egypt, they valued the tuber as a medicine. They used their antibacterial properties for the workers of the pyramids. Here it was part of the daily provisions of the workers to avoid illnesses among them.
Today, there is much talk that garlic has a beneficial effect on the human body, but this has not been 100% proven by medical studies. Also, you only consume small amounts of garlic. I want to mention its advantages here, however.
The sulfide alliin in garlic, converted into allicin when chopped, is very good for the human organism. Black garlic contains five times as much allicin as fresh garlic. As we can see in the composition of garlic, garlic contains other healthy ingredients.
Composition of garlic
Garlic consists of (65%) water. The rest is carbohydrates containing fructose, sulfur compounds, proteins, fiber, and free amino acids.
It also contains saponins, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, zinc, selenium, vitamins A and C, and low levels of the B-complex vitamins iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and manganese.
How is black garlic made?
Black garlic results from natural ripening at temperatures of approx. 40-60 ° C and high humidity. In Spain, the fresh garlic ripens in this way in so-called ripening rooms over 45 days.
Related Links:
A complete report in PDF from the University of Freiburg
Freiburg University Hospital: Everything you need to know about black garlic