Garlic

Taste and Texture

Raw garlic has a sharp, pungent aroma and bite, which become more pronounced the finer it is chopped or mashed. When cooked, the pungency softens and it becomes a toasty, slightly sweet aroma with a nutty note. Raw minced garlic tends to be moist and coarse in texture rather than crisp, and very long-cooked whole garlic becomes so soft it can be mashed. Because garlic has a strong aroma, using a lot of raw garlic can mask the delicate flavors of other ingredients.

Main uses

• Minced garlic is great for dishes where you want to evenly distribute aroma through the ingredients, such as soups, stews, fried rice, seasoned vegetable dishes, and bulgogi marinades.
• Sliced garlic can be used to flavor olive oil or cooking oil for pasta, stir-fries, and roasted vegetables. If the slices turn a deep brown quickly, the bitterness can appear, so lower the heat or move the pan off the heat briefly.
• Whole garlic adds gentle sweetness while maintaining shape in braises, roasts, and stews. For dishes where you also eat the garlic itself, choose small cloves or cut large cloves in half to ensure even cooking.
• Garlic can be added to sauces for a bright aroma, but in sauces that are eaten immediately, more garlic will make the spiciness more prominent. If the aroma is too strong, let it rest briefly and then balance with soy sauce, oil, and sweetness ingredients.

Preparation tips

• Peel and trim the tough base at the root end to ensure even pieces for chopping or slicing. If sprouts are large and too harsh, remove them for a milder flavor.
• Minced garlic can be finely sliced or mashed with a knife. Mashed garlic releases aroma more quickly, so for clear broths with a soft aroma, sliced or whole garlic may be more suitable.
• When infusing oil, start with a cold or lukewarm pan and heat the garlic and oil slowly over low to medium heat. If sizzling intensifies and edges color quickly, the temperature is high, so add a small amount of liquid or other ingredients to slow the process.
• In broths, garlic can be added from the start to build deep aroma, or added at the very end in small amounts to leave a fresh aroma. Using both methods together increases aroma layers, but in clear, delicate broths the garlic aroma can become overpowering.

Cooking characteristics

• Garlic aroma strengthens quickly when cut or mashed, and heat causes the pungency to decrease, shifting toward a softer, nutty aroma. Therefore, use raw garlic for preparations where you want the raw aroma, and cook it enough for braises that require sweetness.
• minced garlic has a large surface area and cooks very quickly in oil. It's best to add the next ingredient when it reaches a fragrant golden stage, and avoid deep brown, which can taste bitter and smoky, so start fresh with new garlic and oil.
• When cooking with moist ingredients, the pan temperature can drop, preventing garlic from scorching, but the garlic aroma will be diluted. For a stronger garlic aroma, reduce the moisture of vegetables or add a small amount toward the end of stir-frying.
• Long-simmered garlic flavors the broth and the texture becomes very soft. If you want to keep whole garlic shape, don't simmer too long at the start; add once the broth has developed some flavor.

Good combinations

• Garlic pairs well with fermented seasonings like soy sauce, doenjang, and gochujang and adds a sharp aroma between saltiness and umami. If the seasoning is already strong, start with less garlic and adjust after tasting to keep a balance.
• Oils with fat like sesame oil, perilla oil, butter, or olive oil give garlic aroma a rounded feel. However, delicate oils can mute the aroma if garlic is fried over high heat.
• Using scallions, onions, and ginger as a base adds depth to the aroma. Ginger can feel stronger than garlic, so in light-tish dishes like clear fish dishes, it may be better to center on one or the other.
• Pork, mushrooms, seafood, and leafy greens pair well, but cooking times differ. For seafood which cooks quickly, briefly cook garlic to release aroma before adding the other ingredients to avoid overcooking.

Points to consider when substituting

• There are few ingredients that replicate both the sharp aroma of garlic and its sweetness when cooked in the same way. Decide substitution based on whether garlic is the main aroma in the dish or just one element of the seasoning.
• If the aroma is a background of the seasoning, finely chop onions or the white part of green onions and fry to supplement sweetness and aroma. Note this substitution will not reproduce garlic's sharp bite and adds moisture and sweetness.
• For dressings or salads where raw garlic’s pungent aroma is needed, finely sliced green onion or a very small amount of fresh ginger can be alternative; however, ginger's aroma is distinct and may not be suitable where garlic flavor is expected.
• Garlic powder can be used in liquid seasonings or dry seasonings, but it cannot replace the aroma and texture of sliced garlic fried in oil. When adding to already cooked sauces, start with small amounts to avoid a gritty texture or clumping.