Black food is hot – think black volcanic salt and black sugar. Now, there is black garlic, a sweet-meets-savoury product from Korea (www.blackgarlic.com) that has chefs buzzing in top U.S. restaurants.
Originally developed as an antioxidant superfood, black garlic is created by aging regular garlic for a month in a fermenting cellar under high heat. The outside skin remains white, but the cloves of garlic within the bulb become softer and sweeter and turn black in colour. The garlic's odour and sharp taste is subdued, replaced by a savoury flavour that some have compared to balsamic vinegar.
One of my favourite uses of this new ingredient is in bruschetta, where the black garlic creates a mellower taste and the dark colour contrasts well with the light baguette and chopped tomatoes. The response of some guests is, “Wow, what is that?”
Black garlic is currently available online for shipment to Canada through www.saucenspice.com for $23 a pound (plus shipping) and will soon be available at Whole Foods. Its uses are limited only by your imagination, so swap it into a few of your favourite recipes.
Sebastien Centner is the director of Eatertainment Special Events & Catering. Visit www.eatertainment.com for a recipe for artichoke and black garlic bruschetta.
