Garlic: nutrition and how to use it

Fun facts

• A whole garlic clove barely smells. Only when you crush, mince or cut it do two compounds inside meet and create that sharp, familiar aroma.
• According to USDA, 100g of garlic has about 149 kcal. But one clove weighs only about 3g, which is roughly 4 to 5 kcal, so feel free to be generous.
• Garlic appears in 512 kOBE recipes, second only to black pepper. From garlic chili fish sauce to stir fried morning glory and grilled ribs, it is everywhere.
• Vietnam's Ly Son garlic, from an island off Quang Ngai, is famous for its small white cloves and gentle aroma, grown on volcanic sandy soil.

Choosing and storing

Choose firm, heavy bulbs with dry, tight skins, no soft spots, no mold and no sprouts. Keep whole bulbs somewhere dry, airy and dark; do not store whole bulbs in the fridge, since moisture encourages sprouting. Peeled or minced garlic goes in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days. Homemade garlic in oil must be refrigerated and used quickly, never left at room temperature.

Cooking it well

After mincing, let garlic rest a few minutes before cooking so its aroma can fully develop. Fry garlic over medium heat and lift it out when just pale gold, because burnt garlic turns bitter and residual heat keeps darkening it. For stir fried greens, add garlic a few seconds before the vegetables so it never has time to burn. To pick a good frying oil, see cooking oil smoke points.

Frequently asked questions