Korean Black Garlic Seasoning

PURPOSE

WHAT IS IT?

Dried fermented black garlic is blended with nutty black and white sesame seeds, finely ground Korean chiles, and other spices. The key ingredient in this mix is the sweet and umami flavor of black garlic, which comes from weeks of hot fermentation that transforms conventional garlic into a whole new experience.

EXPERIENCE

The aroma of the base spice, black garlic, is mildly pungent, with a flavor is umami, and sweet.

The spice blend offers a hint of soy sauce, savory sesame seeds, and a little kick from the fiery chiles. The other spices and sesame broaden out the flavor profile of this spice to give it a nutty, and more savory flavor.

When you need more complexity in your dish, this combination of flavors is sure to wow your dinner guests!

CULINARY GEOGRAPHY

Black garlic powder is a quite ingredient from Korean cuisine that found its way into the cuisines of the oceanic traders of Asia, and now is a fave of modernist and molecular gastronomy pro chefs in Europe and North America. The other seeds and chiles are also native to Korea, where this type of cuisine is most popular.  This spice mix is more of an American innovation, combining the Korean classic with other complimentary spices whose combinations are Asian-themed in their total mix. `

TRADITIONAL USES

• Kkanpunggi 깐풍기
• Kimchis – A mellower, and less pungent kimchi uses black garlic.
• Bibimbap – bowls of wonderful stir-fried or roasted meats and vegetables.
• Meat marinade

A FEW IMPROVISATIONAL RIFFS:

• Sous vide eggs with shrimp, shallots, and scallions broaden with a little of this seasoning mix;
• Applewood-smoked Korean wings with green apple kimchi and a scallion red bean-yogurt dip;
• Korean meatloaf – Blend in with ground beef, pork and a touch of black bean paste to take mom’s American classic to a new level!
• K-Rav – Korean-Italian raviolis made with 72 hour sous vide shortrib meat rubbed with Korean Black Garlic seasoning, steamed not boiled, and served with Korean fra diavolo – a red sauce with gochugaru chile flakes, and a touch of soy.

THE BACKSTORY

There are a lot of stories about Black Garlic. Its history goes back thousands of years, or less than twenty to some guy who claims to have patented the process. We can find both culinary, and medicinal evidence of it, from Korea, and parts of China, and religious and spiritual uses, along with culinary, in Thailand, dating back in the hundreds of years.  We’ll leave it to the British patent courts to sort the fact from fiction out.  As far as the spice goes, its a more American riff of a spice blend that is used commonly in Korea.

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