Since black garlic has become popular, no doubt many people are wondering what the differences are between black garlic and white or common garlic. The external shape and colour of this superfood may resemble those of ordinary white garlic, but when opened, the differences are obvious: in aroma, colour, texture, taste and, above all, in nutritional value, there are significant differences.
The black garlic is a variety of traditional garlic, so it has many of the same characteristics and retains all its properties. If you look at the whole head of white and black garlic, externally they look the same at first sight, as both have the same shape and are covered by a thin whitish skin composed of several very thin, delicate and fragile layers. However, the big difference is revealed when the head is cut in two.
Undoubtedly, the most striking thing about black garlic, unlike common garlic, is its colour, although this appears as the days go by. After 72 hours of maturation of a common garlic, the cloves start to turn yellow and, after 10 days, turn brown. After 20 days, the cloves are intensely black, and after a month, the garlic is very ripe, the cloves are completely black, softer and sweeter tasting, and the skin becomes more yellowish.
But colour is not the only distinguishing feature that differentiates black garlic from white garlic, as black garlic has a smooth inner texture and is slightly drier than traditional garlic. In terms of taste, the two foods have virtually nothing in common.
Black garlic has a sweeter and much less intense flavour, with fruity, caramelised and balsamic notes. There are also big differences in the smell, because they are so different from each other that we hardly notice the characteristic smell we know from the common garlic in the black garlic. But undoubtedly one of the most significant differences that drives many people to eat it is that it is easier to digest, does not repeat and does not leave bad breath.
And so we come to this point, which is better, white or black garlic?
In addition to colour, texture and taste, there are also nutritional differences between the two varieties. Black garlic not only retains all the properties of white garlic, but during its natural maturation process, its antioxidant power increases fivefold. In fact, it contains five times more polyphenols than conventional garlic.
This is because allicin is converted to S-allylcysteine, tetrahydrobonyls, bioactive alkaloids and flavonoids during the ripening process.
But black garlic is not only richer in antioxidants than ordinary garlic, it also has a greater capacity to eliminate free radicals, which are a series of external aggressors that can damage the body’s cells.
