Black garlic is a type of aged garlic which is attributed to be browned by the Maillard reaction rather than caramelized, first used as a food ingredient in Asian cuisine. It is made by heating whole bulbs of garlic (Allium sativum) over the course of several weeks, a process that results in black cloves.
Recently there has been a rise in popularity of Black Garlic. White Garlic becomes Black Garlic following a month-long fermentation process under strictly controlled heat and humidity. This very specific process results is a soft, jelly-like texture that is free from odour and has a taste similar to figs.
From a nutritional point of view, Black Garlic has a much higher content of allicin, the active ingredient in White Garlic that imparts its benefits, but without the odour. Additionally, Black Garlic is rich in amino acids and has almost double the amount of antioxidants when compared to White Garlic. But that is not the whole story.
Black Garlic also contains an additional very specific compound called S-Allycysteine (SAC) in very high concentrations, compared to White Garlic which is water soluble and thus absorbed easily within the body. S-Allylcysteine has been shown to assist with the absorption of allicin. This makes Black Garlic much more effective than White Garlic for all the benefits mentioned above and additionally it is well tolerated by the digestive system so the chance of gastric distress is completely minimised.