Vegetable

Garlic

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a bulb of tightly wrapped cloves whose raw bite is sharp and sulphurous and whose cooked flavour turns sweet, nutty, and mellow. Hardneck types offer bold flavour and edible scapes; softneck types store longer and dominate supermarket shelves. Black garlic is fermented until sticky and balsamic-sweet; green (immature) garlic is milder like a leek-garlic hybrid. Nearly every savoury cuisine builds on garlic—soffritto, stir-fry pastes, aioli, roasted whole heads, and pickles. Crushing or chopping activates enzymes for maximum pungency; whole roasted cloves stay gentle. Store cool, dry, and ventilated—not sealed in the fridge where it sprouts or moulds. Discard cloves that are soft, yellowed, or green-sprouted if flavour has turned harsh (sprouts can be removed from otherwise sound cloves).