FAQs

What is Black Garlic?

You cannot grow black garlic, you have to make it.

Black Garlic starts life as regular white garlic. It is slow-cooked for weeks at a low temperature. As the natural sugars in the garlic caramelise, the garlic slowly turns black releasing amazing flavours you really have to try. You can read more about it on our blog post called Why Black Garlic? (PS. We use New Zealand garlic to make the best Black Garlic condiments.)

What does Black Garlic taste like?

See how our customers describe it - it is totally different from white garlic.

Black Garlic from Neudorf Black™ has deep, rich, umami flavour.

Umami is 'the fifth taste' after sweet, salty, sour and bitter. It is a savoury taste that satisfies with a 'full-mouth' feeling and can be roughly translated as 'the essence of deliciousness'. It is derived from the Japanese word umai which means delicious.

How do I use Black Garlic?

Start with Black Garlic Puree on a cheeseboard. It is amazing on crackers or toast. However, Black Garlic really shines once you start using it in your cooking. Which is why world renowned chef Ottolenghi recommends Black Garlic as one of the 10 staple ingredients of the kitchen.

Try stirring a small amount of Black Garlic Puree through mayonnaise or sour cream, or through your next pasta or rice dish. It is divine with any mushroom dish. You'll be surprised what a difference a little bit makes.

It is recommended to add Black Garlic near the end of your dishes as you don't want to burn it. Mind you, having said that, we have some customers who love to blacken their steaks on the BBQ with it! Check out our Recipes Page for easy recipes. And if you subscribe to our newsletter (sign up in the page footer below) we send out a new recipe every month.

I have a recipe that uses black garlic cloves. How much Black Garlic Puree should I use in its place?

Our Black Garlic Puree is usually more concentrated (in flavour and volume) than black garlic cloves. For instance, our small 60gm jar of puree has the equivalent of approx 30 cloves of garlic. If a recipe calls for 10 cloves of black garlic, use a heaped tsp of puree instead. You can always add more if you want.

Can I use Black Garlic instead of white garlic in my cooking?

The flavours are completely different. If you still love the sharp, pungent flavours of regular garlic, continue using it in your cooking. Black Garlic will lend a richness, and a depth of flavour that is compared by some to the flavour profile of truffle. It is common to use both regular garlic and Black Garlic in the same dish. They are complementary but different.

Which is better - Black Garlic Puree or Black Garlic Essence?

If you like versatility - choose the Puree. We call it the Little Black Dress of the Kitchen because it is ready to go on the cheeseboard, avocado toast, or to add to your next kitchen creation.

If time is of the essence choose the Essence for convenience. Dash or drizzle it on your meals for that magnificent umami flavour hit. Both are easy to use, and 100% all-natural.

How long will my Black Garlic condiments last for?

Most of our products have a Best Before Date of 2 years from batch date. Follow the storage instructions on the product for best results. Once opened, if stored as recommended, the products will last till the best before date, if not beyond. Use only a clean utensil in your puree jar to avoid contaminants going off inside the jar. The product themselves, being pure garlic, are unlikely to go off.

If the puree dries up at all, add a drop of water to revive it.