an ode to the BEST vegetable out there
from the folks at MinuteFood
THE POWERHOUSE REACTION BEHIND GARLIC’S PUNCH
FACT #1
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FACT #1 ⌇
Garlic’s flavor comes mostly from a compound called allicin, which weirdly, isn’t normally in garlic. See, when garlic is just peacefully existing, the components of allicin - an amino acid called alliin and an enzyme called allinase - are separated in different cells. But when something - like a hungry herbivore’s teeth or a hungry human’s knife - damages the clove, the components meet, and BOOM: allinase transforms odorless alliin into odiferous allicin.
FACT #2
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FACT #2 ⌇
SWEET, SWEET GARLIC
Garlic contains about ten different kinds of natural sugars; its sugar content is right up there with that of sweet potatoes! But you need to cook garlic to turn its sugar into a form that we humans can taste. And if you get garlic’s sugars hot enough, they’ll caramelize, sweetening things up even more. But don’t go too far; since garlic has all that sugar - and very little water - it burns fast and turns super bitter, which is one garlic flavor you probably aren’t going for.
FACT #3
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FACT #3 ⌇
WHY IS MY GARLIC BLUE?
When the enzymes in garlic come into contact with acid, a chemical reaction can result that creates wildly colorful pigments, giving the garlic a blue or greenish hue! The more acidic a concoction is, like if you're pickling garlic, the more likely the chemical reaction is. But don't worry, this weird-colored garlic is still safe - and delicious - to eat! You can see what happens in our video about fermented garlic.
FACT #4
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FACT #4 ⌇
Garlic has been around for a LONG time
Humans were probably eating garlic as early as 5000 years ago in India and Egypt; King Tut's tomb even contained some stray bulbs among its many treasures! Long ago, garlic was mostly seen as a medicine; it was used to help with digestion, fight depression, improve lung function, and even boost soldiers' resolve in battles. It wasn't until the European Renaissance that garlic became a popular ingredient in foods.
FACT #5
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FACT #5 ⌇
Don't sleep on garlic powder
If you've given up on garlic powder, you might just not be using it right. See, when garlic makers make garlic powder, they dehydrate the garlic, temporarily dehydrating the allinase inside. When the dry garlic is ground up and bottled, the alliin mingles with the allinase, but since it’s inactivated, nothing really happens. When you're ready to use garlic powder, the best strategy is to add some water to re-activate the allinase; since the alliin is right there, BOOM: the chemical weapon detonates.
