The Fresh Advantage

To be honest, here at The Garlic Company we feel there is no real debate over whether fresh garlic is better than dehydrated garlic. We know that fresh garlic has a more complex flavor and aroma than dehydrated products. And we know that the true garlic flavor of fresh product can never be matched in dehydrated.

Despite this obvious flavor difference, there is a generally accepted notion in the food industry that it is more economical to use dehydrated garlic than it is to use fresh garlic. We commissioned The National Food Laboratory (the NFL) in Dublin, Calif., to conduct a sensory evaluation of fresh and dehydrated garlic to determine the equivalency level between the two.

The story being told today is that it takes five times the amount of fresh garlic to equal one time the amount of dehydrated garlic. The NFL found that level is not accurate. In fact, the equivalency rate is dramatically less than five to one. This means fresh garlic has a similar cost-in-use to dehydrated, making fresh the best value because of its flavor advantage.

Why use fresh garlic?

• Fresh garlic has a more complex flavor and aroma than dehydrated. When garlic is dehydrated, the highly volatile fresh flavor notes are lost in the heating and drying process
• "Fresh garlic" enhances any menu or product label offering
• Fresh garlic is easy-to-use. It can be delivered in ready-to-use forms from puree to dice
• Based on flavor, fresh garlic has a similar cost-in-use to dehydrated
• Fresh California garlic assures traceability