Garlic has a strong and spicy flavour, which comes from allicin in garlic. How to control the spicy level of garlic in plant-based dishes is a little technique when we cook different plant-based dishes. The stem of the garlic is rich in flavour. When you hang the whole bunch of garlics, the cloves of garlic will have stronger garlic flavours.
Garlic of different colours
First of all, let’s understand the difference between the garlics of different colours
- White garlic can be easily found in the market. It has more moisture relative to other garlics.
- Pink garlic is still white on the outside with a bit of pink in the inside.
- Purple garlic has a slightly sweet taste. Purple garlic will slightly reduce the relative spiciness after it is cooked.
- Black garlic is matured from white garlic in a humid and warm environment for nearly one hundred days. Black garlic has a slightly sour flavour compared to other garlics.
They all contain delicious flavour that can enrich the flavours of different plant-based dishes.
How to manage the spiciness of garlic
The spiciness of garlic is directly proportional to the damage level of the garlic cloves. The more damaged the garlic clove, the more garlicky and pungent the flavour will be. Beside, if you put the crushed garlic aside for around 60 second before cooking, the flavour will be stronger.
How to prepare the garlic will affect the spiciness of the garlic.
- Whole garlic does not have allicin. If we want to make the dish with a mild aroma, we can cook the dish
- If we use a knife to cut the garlic into small pieces, it will make mild garlic aroma and flavour.
- If we use a knife to crush the garlic cloves, it will destroy more garlic cells. The minced garlic has a strong flavour.
- If we crush the garlic cloves in a mortar, it will make the garlic to release a rich garlic flavour. If we cook the minced garlic over high heat, it will be bitter and pungent.
- If we grind the garlic cloves into a puree, it will release a large amount of allicin because it greatly damage the garlic cell. The flavour is very strong.
- As mentioned before, if we hang the braided of garlic for around two to three weeks, the garlic will be more flavourful.
Cooking tips
Garlic has fructose and hence, we should not cook them at a temperature of over 180 degrees. Otherwise, the garlic will be brunt. It will be bitter.
If garlic sprouts appear on the garlic, you need to remove the garlic sprouts because the garlic sprouts have a bitter taste.
How to store garlic
If the garlic is kept in a dry, sealed and refrigerated place, it can be stored for more than two to three months.
