Black garlic has gone down well since hitting the UK market last week

Black garlic has gone down well since hitting the UK market last week

Odourless black garlic, a fermented version of the traditional white product, has entered the UK market.

The new variety, supplied by Black Garlic Ltd, is age-fermented, meaning white garlic’s bitter cloves turn soft, black and sweet.

The garlic goes through a month-long fermentation process, producing a jelly-like texture.

The product is grown on Jeju, an island off South Korea. However, Black Garlic’s Katy Heath told FPJ this may not always to be the case. “At the moment it is aged over in Korea, but in less than a year we will be able to buy the machine they use and age it over here using locally sourced product," she said.

“We only released the product on Friday and it is going so well. It has been described as like a liquorice wine gum, and it can be eaten raw from a pot, like sweets.

“There is absolutely no after-taste on the breath at all, unlike normal garlic, and it can be cooked alongside normal garlic as it is a very complex taste - although it is better raw.

“We have already received a huge interest and are confident this will soon be part of everyone’s kitchen.”

The product is available in peeled segments, bulbs, paste, juice and powder form, and has appeared on the BBC’s Something for the Weekend cookery and lifestyle programme.

It is reported to have health benefits due to its high antioxidant content, which is nearly double that of regular garlic.