‘Black garlic’ emerging as the next big gourmet food ingredient

Posted by Andrea Hogan on 23rd January 2017

Garlic is a flavouring staple for many chefs but Australian cooks are now trying to spice things up with a new gourmet ingredient, black garlic.

Black garlic is created when regular garlic is aged under specialised conditions until the cloves turn black and develop a sticky-date like texture.

A unique rich but sweet and earthy taste is also created from the ageing process.

Black garlic was first traditionally used in Asian cuisine but is now being used in a range of ways by chefs across the world.

It can be utilised as a marinate or to help make more unique foods such as black garlic chocolate or black garlic ice cream. The garlic has even been added to energy drinks.

NSW farmer’s black garlic in high demand

One New South Wales black garlic farmer, John Pyne, says his black garlic is in such demand that he is now using crowd funding platform, ReadyFundGo, to purchase a new fermenter so he can increase his output of the garlic

“Chef’s in Australia recognise the amazing flavours and textures of the garlic which is added anywhere in the menu from a cheese plater right through to black garlic ice cream,” said Mr Pye said in video on his ReadyFundGo page.

“It’s sweet, it’s like molasses balsamic vinegar and liquorice so the multitude of flavours is in high demand among chefs,” he said.

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