INSPIRE
One local couple’s garlic-bulb moment has set them on a mission to share their love of black gold! Jodie Cameron discovers why once you go ‘black’, you’ll never go back….
WINTER
Wellness
As the father of Western medicine Hippocrates said “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Noosa Black Garlic’s ethos is the epitome of this, and just one of the reasons why their handmade products are now regarded as Australia’s most awarded black garlic! Packed with incredible immuneboosting properties and compounds like allicin, which is known for its antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects, garlic can help strengthen the immune system, reducing the severity and duration of winter illnesses, while helping ease symptoms like colds, congestion, coughs and flu. For an instant immunity boost, add a spoonful of Noosa Black Garlic Honey to your morning tea, and make black garlic your best friend this winter! Noosa Black Garlic co-founder and qualified Naturopath for more than 20 years, Teneille Newton has a strong background in natural medicine having travelled the country leading the education and marketing teams for MediHerb for 17 years, which not only underpins her knowledge of black garlic’s unique health benefits, but also explains Noosa Black Garlic’s sleek and snazzy product range! “Black garlic offers improved digestibility, providing antioxidant protective effects for the cardiovascular system, supporting healthy cholesterol balance, and protecting heart health,” Teneille says. “It’s a common IN Noosa Magazine
PHOTO: MEGAN GILL
Winter and garlic tend to go hand-inhand for its flavour-packed health benefits. White, smoked or black – garlic has been a staple in most cultures for more than 5000 years.
misconception that black garlic is a type of garlic that has been roasted, smoked or even burnt, but black garlic is actually produced via a unique ageing process – where time and temperature transform ordinary white garlic into extraordinary, sweet, dark and umami-rich black garlic.” An Egyptophile, Teneille says she is fascinated by the history of garlic, where in Ancient Egypt garlic was considered so sacred that it was used as currency, and cloves were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun – and even fed to labourers building the pyramids to boost strength and stamina. “Ironically black garlic wasn’t originally invented – it happened by accident centuries ago in Korea, when it was discovered storing regular garlic in warm, humid conditions made it turn black, and sweet instead of spoiling,” Teneille explained. “What started as a fluke, is now a gourmet ingredient used all over the world.” Richer in antioxidants than regular garlic, black garlic commands attention due to its earthy molasses flavour and rich textures that literally melt in your mouth. Nothing else is added, the ageing process, or ‘Maillard Reaction’ – where sugars and amino acids are exposed to sustained low heat causing the garlic to darken, soften and develop a sweet, savoury flavour profile – is responsible 60
for creating Noosa Black Garlic’s signature onyx gems. “I like to combine our Noosa Black Garlic with other immune boosters like shiitake and reishi mushrooms, especially in the colder months because they are nourishing for the immune system due to their beta-glucans content,” Teneille says. Whole, pickled, crushed, roasted, or minced – there’s no such thing as too much garlic because garlic makes everything better! But if you aren’t careful, its flavour can take over a dish (and your breath), but this my friends is where Noosa Black Garlic raises the stake – the usual pungent and sulphurous garlic odour and taste is broken down during the ageing process, so say goodbye to garlic breath! “Unlike raw or cooked garlic, which releases volatile sulphur compounds when chewed or digested, black garlic remains mellow—so you can enjoy it without worrying about the aftereffects,” she says. Partnering with local garlic farmers in the pristine Noosa Hinterland, Teneille and husband Tony source the highest quality, organically grown Elephant Garlic as the base for all of their Noosa Black Garlic products, because of its naturally milder flavour than many smaller garlic varieties.