It is most definitely a special occasion treat. It costs a fair penny to get your garlic blackened, but the smoky sweet tang is mellow, chewy and delicious.

With is abundance of anti-oxidants and its much-debated identity – is it fermented or not? Was it invented in Korea or not? – these caramelized cloves have gone in and out of foodie favour.

If you have not yet tried one, you can get them at the South China Seas Trading Company shops at Granville Island and on Victoria Drive. Black garlic, they say, is ‘sweet, mellow and more complex than fresh garlic, with a slight smokiness and notes of port wine and caramel.’

Writing & Photos by Elizabeth Newton
www.creatorsvancouver.com