Where to Buy Black Garlic & Recipe Inspiration
Newsletter
Subscribe at the bottom of this page for the Chic Eats roundup. It includes new and updated recipes along with a grab bag of unique content that was interesting enough to share around the dinner table.
On a Pedestal
Articulating the sensory delight of black garlic is difficult, akin to comprehending the vastness of the universe but through the language of flavor. After being held at a constant temperature of 140°F/60°C for several weeks, whole heads emerge entirely transformed—like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. The complexity is simultaneously sweet and deeply savory while having none of the sharpness of raw garlic. Other descriptions, like "sticky" and "notes of balsamic vinegar and molasses", begin to paint the picture.
This inky treasure sits with preserved limes on the pedestal of ingredients I prize. I could make a meal out of milk rolls swiped with black garlic compound butter, the latter being as simple as it is exceptional. Black garlic's ability to add an incredible depth to sourdough bread (as if sourdough bread isn't already wonderful) inspired me to find more ways to use it.
I started assembling a list of recipes to try when it struck me that it was worth sharing—so this post was born. Coincidentally, my local cheese shop stopped carrying black garlic, which gave me an opportunity to seek out smaller producers. That list is also included below and features farms and businesses in several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Similar to my post, Where to Buy Local Flour (and Why), I hope to expand the list over time.
Maillard vs. Fermentation
I'm not attempting to spark an internet debate, but several websites and a few reputable cookbooks suggest that fermentation is responsible for black garlic's transformation. I don't recall what made me question this, but my findings credit the Maillard reaction for turning cloves into black gold during the heat-aging process. Perhaps there's some element of fermentation during all those weeks in the cooker, but microbes are not primarily responsible for the end product.
The Noma Guide to Fermentation offered the most thorough instructions I found in my library. It's a relatively easy recipe if you have a rice cooker (or fermentation chamber) and some time.
How to Store Black Garlic
I keep my vacuum-sealed black garlic in the freezer and it holds up beautifully. I suspect the low water content plays a role in the longevity. Some websites suggest the aged garlic can sit at room temperature for weeks, but I don't prefer to go that route.
Where to Buy Black Garlic
Take some time to browse around the websites since a few offer products like smoked garlic and garlic scape salt. This isn’t a comprehensive list, but it should serve as a solid jumping off point. If you know of a shop or farm in your area that sells or ships black garlic, feel free to reach out directly or in the comments and I'll add them.
The general wisdom says that the longer garlic is aged, the sweeter it becomes.
United States
- Orie’s Farm Fresh – They also have smoked garlic and a variety of other products. Their aging process is shorter (six to eight days) which I'm assuming means they hold the garlic at a higher temperature. The black garlic is good—pretty much all garlic is good—but not quite as sweet as other brands I've tried.
- 3 Sisters - Their garlic is aged for three weeks.
- Witchcat Farm - Their garlic is aged for two weeks.
- Quarter Moon Farm – They don’t grow their own garlic anymore but the website says that they source from a local organic farm. Their aging process is 12 days.
- Van Low Family Farm - Their garlic is aged for one month.
Canada
- Food 4 Life (teaching farm) - The aging process is listed as 35 to 90 days. This was initially my first choice but they don't ship to the United States.
- Prairie Farm - Their garlic is aged for 14 days.
United Kingdom
- The Garlic Farm - Their aging process is listed as one month.
- South West Garlic Farm - Their aging process is listed as several weeks.
Australia
- Cold Country Organic – Their aging process is listed as several weeks and they have additional products like garlic scape salt.
Recipe Inspiration
This wishlist comes from my cookbook library. The 20+ recipes are loosely organized into the following groups: Middle East, Vegetable Forward, Restaurants & Other, and Fermentation & Preservation.
MIDDLE EAST
Bavel: Modern Recipes Inspired by the Middle East (Los Angeles Restaurant)
Smoked Harissa (for Tomato & Feta Smoked Harissa)
Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking
Black Garlic Tehina
VEGETABLE FORWARD
Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London's Ottolenghi
Eggplant with Black Garlic Sauce and Chiles
- Black Garlic Mayo/Aioli
- Black Garlic Mustard
- Stir-Fry: "It also works great in a stir-fry, where it almost acts like a fermented bean paste."
Arroz Negro
RESTAURANT & OTHER
Flavorama: A Guide to Unlocking the Art and Science of Flavor
- Black Garlic-Black Vinegar Mayo
- Brined Fermented Eggplant
- Shank braised in leeks, apricots, black garlic
Asparagus with Black Garlic Mayo
Black Garlic Rubbed Hanger Steak w/ Crispy Potato and Pole Bean Salad
- Black Garlic Spread with Crostini and Fermented Vegetables
Black Bean Hummus Tacos
SPQR: Modern Italian Food & Wine (San Francisco restaurant)
Mushroom Risotto
Bar Tartine: Techniques & Recipes (San Francisco restaurant - no longer open)
- Black Garlic & Lentil Soup
- Black Garlic Vinaigrette - Could be nice with charred vegetables. In Bar Tartine serves it's served with smoked potatoes.
NOPI (London restaurant - Yotam Ottolenghi)
Roasted Eggplant w Black Garlic, Pine Nuts, Basil
- Black Garlic Crema
FERMENTATION & PRESERVATION
- Black Garlic BBQ Sauce
- Red Plum Hoisin Sauce
The Noma Guide to Fermentation
- Black Garlic Skin Broth
- Black Garlic Balsamic
A ramekin of black garlic vinegar, embellished with nothing more than a drop of sesame oil and a splash of chili oil, makes for a near-perfect dipping sauce for dumplings or steamed buns. Crunchy greens like bok choy or gai lan, freshly steamed and still hot, beg to be tossed in a splash of black garlic vinegar and seasoned with furikake, the Japanese dried topping made of toasted seaweed, katsuobushi, and sesame seeds. - Noma
Newsletter
Subscribe at the bottom of this page for the Chic Eats roundup. It includes new and updated recipes along with a grab bag of unique content that was interesting enough to share around the dinner table.
