Culinary Uses:

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The Black Garlic "garlic" flavour is softened depending on the length of time it is prepared at low heat. Its flavour is also dependent on the quality of fresh garlic that was used. Garlic with a higher sugar content produces a milder, more balsamic/caramel-like flavour., while garlic with low sugar content produces a sharper, more acidic taste. This characteristic is similar in tomato paste as well. Burnt flavours may be present if the garlic was heated for too long or too high, or not long enough: The garlic turns black in colour well before the full extent of its sweetness is fully developed during the heating process.​

Black garlic can be eaten as-is, on bread, or used in soups, sauces, marinades, cream-based sauces, crushed into any mayonnaise base or simply tossed into a vegetable dish. A salad dressing can be made with black garlic (works best with balsamic), sherry vinegar, soy sauce, any neutral oil, and Dijon mustard. Its texture softens with water content.​

Unlike raw white garlic, black garlic has a very subtle and muted flavour that is easily overpowered. Because of its delicate and subtle flavours, a larger quantity of black garlic must be used compared to raw white garlic to achieve the same intensity. Also, black garlic cannot be used in place of raw white garlic. If a distinct garlic flavour is required, then fresh garlic must be added.​

A quick method to release Black Garlic's subtle flavour is to puree it in a small amount of neutral-tasting oil, then add the mixture into whatever food you would like to use. This paste can be refrigerated and used whenever needed. The paste may also be added to foods that are otherwise neutral in flavour, e.g. mashed potatoes, stews, or sauces to showcase the black garlic as a taste booster.​

It is a common misconception that black garlic has a "meaty" flavour. It does not. It is commonly eaten as-is by Black Garlic enthusiasts, who sometimes equate the taste to a savoury, slightly acidic caramel toffy or tamarind. The most prominent flavour it imparts is sweetness when used in high concentrations. When used in low concentrations, if there are no other flavours to compete with black garlic, the taste and aroma are similar to balsamic vinegar.​

There are recipes for making donuts and chocolate with black garlic online, so experimentation is encouraged. You can chop up the Black Garlic & mix it with butter, then spread it over bread if you want to consume it directly or use it as a garnish over steak or pair it with goat cheese as a new topping for bruschetta. The rich black cloves would make an exciting centrepiece for a Mediterranean platter, and it would be a great addition to most pasta or meat sauces. Black garlic would be a great addition to a sweet and savoury pizza. Try adding a slight variation to that guacamole or hummus recipe that you like fiddling with. Mince up some cloves and throw them in the wok at the end of a stir fry. If you're feeling adventurous, whip up some black garlic bread pudding. Simmer it with maple syrup and drizzle the mixture over ice cream or frosted cake.​