Black Garlic, like a raisin, starts as one food and becomes another through the process of aging and fermentation. Fresh garlic is our only ingredient at Black Garlic North America (this cannot be said of all Black Garlic producers). The pretty white bulbs of garlic that you are accustomed to seeing on the shelf at your local market are aged and fermented right here in Wisconsin, and over time they become something very different! When you view black garlic and fresh garlic next to each other, differences will be noted in the texture, color, size and taste. Fresh garlic is crisp and “spicy” and adds strong garlic flavor to recipes while black garlic is more mild, umami and balsamic.

Black garlic has multitudes of uses in the kitchen because it is both savory and sweet. During the fermentation process, the stored carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars rendering a sweet flavor that can easily be paired with other sweet ingredients like chocolate, syrup or honey. This is why you may see black garlic in cookies, cake, and even in hot chocolate!