Black garlic

Ail noir

What it is

Whole heads of garlic held warm and humid for weeks until the Maillard reaction — the chemistry of bread crusts and seared steaks — turns each clove black, soft and sweet as a balsamic date. An ancient Asian preparation that modern chefs adopted almost overnight in the 2000s.

In the kitchen

No bite remains — use it as a condiment, not a garlic. Crush a clove into butter for a steak, or into mayonnaise for anything fried.

Goes with

Beef Miso Button mushroom Butter Balsamic vinegar Dark chocolate

Same species

Arleux smoked garlic Banana shallot Calçot Cévennes sweet onion Chives Cipollini onion

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