Garlic amplifies and unites other flavours while having its own distinctive taste that gives depth to many savoury dishes. Essential to many cuisines, with onions and ginger it forms the “trinity” at the heart of much Asian cooking.
Garlic’s pungency derives mainly from its sulphur-containing flavour compounds; these have significant cross-over with cooked meats, which also contain sulphur compounds. Smaller amounts of gently aromatic terpenes are also present,including limonene and sabinene. Toasting creates nutty-flavoured pyrazines.
