Garlic fermentation is an interesting topic that has been previously discussed in a prior posting, but have you heard of black garlic? This product is fresh garlic that has been fermented in a high-humidity environment at a high temperature for a period of time. As fermentation occurs, the cloves begin to darken and the texture changes to a squishy or jellylike consistency. This product has a sweet taste. Black garlic has been eaten for centuries in South Korea, Japan, and Thailand (Kimura et al., 2016).
Black garlic demonstrates health benefits as well. We discussed in class how fermentation can change the bioavailability of some nutrients. It appears this is the case in garlic as well. Researchers have found high levels of water-soluble antioxidants compounds (S-allyl cysteine, S-allyl-mercapto cysteine), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, organosulfur compounds, polyphenol, and volatile compounds in black garlic compared to fresh garlic after thermal processing. The bioactive compounds in black garlic demonstrate several biological properties, such as anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-obesity, hepatoprotection, hypolipidemia, anti-cancer, anti-allergy, immunomodulation, nephroprotection, cardiovascular protection, and neuroprotection (Ahmed and Wang, 2021).
An analysis using Illumina MiSeq sequencing technology provided information about the bacterial community present in black garlic production. During the analysis, 45 phyla and 1125 distinct genera were found in the bacterial community. The four genera that were most abundant were Thermus, Corynebacterium, Streptococcus, and Brevundimonas. The study also investigated important fermentation processes. It was found that membrane transport, carbohydrate metabolism, and amino acid metabolism were important processes for black garlic fermentation (Qiu et al., 2018).
Have you heard of or seen black garlic before? Would you be interested in incorporating it into your diet for its health benefits?
Photo Credit – Jacek Halicki