Hawkshead Black Garlic Ketchup

230 ml Bottle - Lake District, UK

Black Garlic Ketchup
Healthy longevity comes from eating Black Garlic!

Sometimes great things just appear and when they do, it's a WOW kinda thing!

This dark, very dark, gourmet ketchup is nothing like the red stuff we have used our whole lives. In fact, it does not resemble anything we have had before. Though I am thinking that the next burger I make will have this as the condiment of excellence.

Like most ketchups it has vinegar - the basic acid and tomato combination. And the similarity stops there.

To the nose, Hawkshead Black Garlic Ketchup has a big twing-y tickle from the acetic acid - balsamic vinegar. To the tip of the tongue it is sweet. And to the mouth it is a squeeze in the cheeks pleasure. It took a couple of tastes to notice the little bits of garlic. At the end, some of the time, there is a tickle in the back of the throat.

The flavor of this gourmet ketchup is not garlicky, at least not to the taste buds. It takes some cheek smacking to get the garlicky flavor - it's much more about the complete experience. You get a sweet twinge of goodness with hints of Balsamic and caramel. This is like an enhancement of black garlic in a ready to pour form!

To make black garlic you heat a full head of white garlic at 150 degrees for several weeks. The browning action is created by the Maillard reaction, not caramelization. The sharpness in fresh garlic is transformed as it breaks down over time, minimizing the strong flavor.

Black Garlic has been around for a long time, and is long associated with longevity and even immortality, it is rich in color and rich in flavor, with roundness, fullness and lots of fun.