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We were watching Iron Chef America the other day (Battle Redfish!) and noticed someone using black garlic, which Alton Brown informed us was a rare treat in kitchen stadium. The judges were certainly excited when they tasted it. The Le Bernadin episode of this season's Top Chef New York also mentioned black garlic. And The Washington Post's Bonnie Benwick featured it as the new 'it' ingredient in her article on February 24th. So what's all the fuss about? What the heck is black garlic?
Korean inventor Scott Kim developed a high-heat fermentation process (that lasts a month) to be applied to heads of garlic, creating high levels of antioxidants. The resulting garlic cloves are black with most, if not all, of the garlic flavor and taste eliminated. In its place is a sweet, licorice-flavor with a slightly chewy texture. Kim's company, Black Garlic, is the sole manufacturer in the states but is expanding its list of distributors and resellers.
As for where you may be able to get a taste of this highly sought after and talked about new ingredient, Benwick mentions that, "Matthias Merges, executive chef at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago, tagged it as one of his top five food finds in the December 2008 issue of Restaurant News, a trade publication." According to this TaStE WiTh ThE EyEs entry, Trotter's served a "Forty Eight Hour Braised Short Rib with Chive Blossoms & Fermented Black Garlic." Mmm. We will let you know if we hear about its use in other Chicago restaurants.
Picture courtesy of Black Garlic.
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Why would you ever want to have the "garlic flavor and taste eliminated"??!!
...and then replaced by "sweet, licorice-flavor"
THAT IS WRONG!!
Ha! Man, it *does* seem like a sin to mess with the magic that is garlic, huh?
I think, Stile, the reason is that the resultant flavor, in itself, is worthwhile - despite not having the garlic flavor. Which, if they wanted, could be served by unprocessed garlic. The black garlic itself has a unique flavor.
But yes, it does rather seem like messing with perfection. ;)
-L.
omigod...I'm going to blame you, L., for blowing my budget!! I went to one of the sites listed and there are so many things that I'm ordering...the garlic, balsamic vinegar, FORBIDDEN rice, honey,black beans...and that was just on one page.
I think the garlic, being that it goes through a fermenting process, is going to have probiotic qualities therefor being healthy and good for you, therefor being necessary to purchase :)
Ingrid - If you start importing crystal ice lettuce in from Africa, then we'll definitely have to talk about your food budget. :) And what the hell is forbidden rice? I may need to check that out.
I googled my ass off trying to find that crystal ice lettuce and the accompanying recipe for the little globular dots of lemon drop dressing to no avail. I have not given up though!!
The forbidden rice is at the Mondo site you posted, it's black rice that turns purple when cooked and was only allowed to be eaten by Chinese royalty back in the day. I haven't looked, but Whole Foods probably has it and I've just never bought it...but theirs is probably not named "Forbidden Rice" either.
Hey, you like steak? Tell you what, I'm going to take this steak, get rid of all the great taste and flavor that makes it steak, and instead make it taste like something you hate. How's that work for you?
Don't like trying new things there, eh?
You know...nobody said that you'd never be able to eat garlic again :)
Ah it's just the flavor. I've never been able to drink ouzo, or eat fennel or licorice allsorts or anything like that. Gags me every time. Plus, I mean, does these stuff even affect vampires? What gives?
Yeah..I'm with you on the ouzo and black licorice. But I love fennel.
I wouldn't try it on vampires though. Until it's been tested and approved for such use!!
Man, for a second there, I thought you were asking me if I like steak. Because I LOVE STEAK.
But back to your point...I do see what you're saying but I don't think anyone is necessarily saying "black garlic is better than regular garlic" so much as they are saying that it is different, unique, and flavorful in its own way. And hell, not like there is a limited supply of garlic that we're wastin' away by turning it black.
But, uh, yeah, nobody better touch my steak.
-L.