Garlic

Garlic is the aromatic backbone of the Thermo kitchen. Crush a clove, wait ten minutes, and the alliin converts to allicin — that sharp bite is the biological signal. Christopher puts it in almost everything.

  • Pungent, savory, slightly sweet...
  • 1 recipe
  • Updated Sep 2026

What it tastes like, and what to put it in

Crushed raw in dressings, roasted whole in butter, sliced into stir-fries. The flavor mellows with cooking — raw is aggressive, roasted is sweet and soft. Garlic confit in butter is a Thermo staple.

Toast, grind, store

Crush or mince and let sit 10 minutes before heat — this allows alliinase to form allicin. Roasting whole cloves whole preserves the sweetness.

Whole bulbs in a cool dark place with airflow, 3–4 weeks. Peeled cloves in the fridge, 1 week.

What is actually in it

Allicin is the primary active (PMID: 10972277 — cardiovascular, antimicrobial). S-allyl cysteine and diallyl sulfide contribute to the long-term effects.

Worth knowing before you use it often

Safe in culinary amounts. Raw garlic may irritate the stomach. May interact with blood thinners — same class as ginger.

Dishes that use it

Questions

Why crush garlic and wait before cooking?
Crushing breaks cell walls, allowing alliinase to convert alliin to allicin. Heat destroys the enzyme — waiting 10 minutes before cooking maximizes allicin.
Does garlic help with blood pressure?
Aged garlic extract shows modest BP reduction in trials. Fresh garlic in food is the Thermo approach, not supplementation.
Garlic powder vs fresh — any difference?
Fresh has allicin potential; powder has stable sulfur compounds but no allicin unless rehydrated. Both are useful — different applications.

Sources

  1. Rivlin — Historical perspective on garlic— Journal of Nutrition, 2001
  2. Ried et al. — Garlic reduces blood pressure— Maturitas, 2008