Many Japanese people are highly conscious of their health and healthy foods that can be bought at a reasonable price are very popular. Black garlic (黒ニンニク / Kuro Ninniku) is one of them. Recently, when our staff visited supermarkets and local markets in Japan, I noticed that black garlic is often sold at the vegetable counter. But why?
In this article, let's find out why black garlic is so popular in Japan! Below the article is a recipe video using black garlic, so be sure to read until the end. Questions and comments are also welcome!
About black garlic in Japan
Black garlic refers to garlic that has been aged by placing white garlic in a constant environment of high temperature and high humidity for 3 to 4 weeks.
The origin of black garlic in Japan is said to be Mie Prefecture. Even in Aomori Prefecture, one of Japan's leading producers of garlic, only black garlic fermented and aged in Mie Prefecture was sold until 2005.
However, Aomori Prefecture is one of the best producers of high quality garlic in Japan. Research and development has been carried out in various places since 2006, and finally the black garlic produced in Aomori Prefecture was born.
One of the reasons for the black garlic trend is the research results of Dr. Jinichi Sasaki (佐々木甚一), a former professor of the Hirosaki University School of Medicine in 2006. Studies have shown that black garlic is rich in S-allylcysteine, which is said to be effective in preventing cancer.
Benefits of black garlic
Black garlic is said to be good for health as it is rich in various nutrients, thus expected to have high beautifying effects.
Arginine, an amino acid contained in black garlic, is three times as much as normal garlic. Arginine is expected to have a wide range of effects, such as removing ammonia (the causative agent of fatigue), relieving fatigue, and promoting insulin secretion. Black garlic is aso rich in amino acids and polyphenols. The strong antioxidant effect of polyphenols is said to have the function of removing Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which is the cause of the aging phenomenon.
Furthermore, in recent years, it has become clear that it has a strong anti-allergic effect that suppresses pollinosis (hay fever). It is also effective for people who suffer from hay fever every year.
In addition, S-allylcysteine that is produced in the process of aging garlic has a strong antioxidant effect and prevents the combination of ROS, the cause of aging phenomenon, with bad cholesterol in the intestines. It is effective in preventing skin aging such as wrinkles from the increased ROS, arteriosclerosis, and diabetes. S-allylcysteine is also known to have anti-cancer effects and is still being studied.
As you can see, black garlic has many health benefits, no wonder why it is now sold at many supermarkets. You can ripen the garlic at home, but it is not recommended to ripen it at home as the odor spreads considerably during aging process. For those who want to make homemade black garlic, we recommend aging it outdoors, such as in a garage or balcony.
Recipe with black garlic: Black Garlic Spaghetti
Ingredients for Black Garlic Spaghetti (3 Servings)
Ingredients for 3 Servings：
- Pasta 300 g
- Anchovy filets to taste
- Cabbage 4-5 slices
- Chilly pepper as you like
- Olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
How to make Black Garlic Spaghetti :
- Finely chop the black garlic and slice the chilly pepper into rings. Cut the cabbage into small pieces.
- Boil the spaghetti with a little salt in the boiling water.
- Put black garlic and chilly pepper in a frying pan, fry a little and then add anchovies and cabbage.
- Add one ladle of boiled spaghetti broth, then add the boiled spaghetti, mix them well. Finally season with salt and pepper.
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