This in-depth garlic video from YouTuber Ethan Chlebowski takes us on a deep dive into all things garlic – from how it grows and its flavor chemistry to taste testing garlic products like fresh, jarred, and powdered.
- Garlic grows by propagating single cloves which regrow into full heads. The emerging flower stalks ("scapes") are removed so the plant sends energy to the bulb.
- Harvested garlic is "cured" by drying for 2-4 weeks, which forms a protective papery skin and intensifies the flavor.
- The compound allicin gives garlic its signature pungent aroma and bite when raw cloves are crushed/cut.
- Garlic's flavor peaks at 60 seconds after chopping before mellowing. Cooking above 140°F deactivates the allicin-generating enzymes.
- Humans enjoy pungent foods like garlic because the mild irritation adds novelty without actual danger.
- Fresh garlic has the most complex flavor. Dried and jarred garlic lack some aromatics but are more convenient.
- Cooking garlic mellows its bite and can bring out sweetness and nuttiness. Burnt garlic turns bitter.
- For max flavor, dried garlic powder should be rehydrated before cooking.
- Raw garlic is unmatched for pungency. Cooked, fresh garlic has superior aroma to alternatives like jarred.
- In dishes where garlic is a background flavor, substitutes like garlic powder work fine. Fresh garlic is primarily essential when it's the star.
