Garlic powder is made from real, dehydrated garlic, which is then ground to various levels of fineness. Most labeled garlic powder is actually coarse-ground garlic, while true garlic powder is ultra-fine, like cake flour.
I love it when my food bites back and shows some feisty fire, and few ingredients do that so well as garlic. I adore the sharp retort of garlic the way others chase capsicum heat, and don’t believe too much is ever enough of this wonderful allium – a category of edible flowering plants that are such a glorious gift to cooks, it comes to the kitchen already wrapped in its own paper.
But fresh garlic can be a nuisance to deal with. You’ve got to break apart the bulb, peel the cloves, then dice, slice, smash, or pulverize them, then spend more time getting the smell off your fingers than you did prepping the scant teaspoon the recipe called for.
That’s where garlic powder comes in to save the day: an effortless, low-odor, cost-efficient, and shelf-stable way to add pizzazz to any dish at any stage. A sprinkle into cooking meat or vegetables; a dash into your spice rub, marinade, or salad dressing; a veritable snowbank on top of buttered Italian bread topped with parsley cheese and ready to go into the broiler. (Just me? Okay.)
What it is: Garlic is an allium native to Asia and predominantly produced in China, but is a pantry staple for cuisines across the globe
How it’s made: Garlic powder is made from real, dehydrated garlic, which is then ground to various levels of fineness
Garlic Powder vs. Onion Powder
Like garlic powder, onion powder is also made from a papery bulb which has had its moisture removed before being ground into a tiny pieces. However, the vegetable itself creates a world of difference. They may both have similar attributes shared with all alliums in their sweet pungency, but garlic has a bigger bite and stronger aroma. It’s also more potent in smaller quantities than onions.
Visually, the two powders look similar. Granulated onion powder is on the lighter side while garlic powder is a golden yellow. I specify granulation because onion powder is also more easily found in that form, albeit finer than garlic, yet called powder nonetheless. True powder is more challenging to find at conventional markets and yields a sweeter overall flavor.
Garlic and onion are often paired together — I know I rarely use one without the other! — but that’s because they provide balance when combined.
What is Garlic Powder?
First of all, lets talk about garlic itself.
Garlic is a bulb vegetable that is the headliner of the allium genus—so much so that allium is literally the word for garlic in Latin. This groups of flowering plants includes a massive amount of species, including scallions, onions, shallots, leeks, chives, and other marvelously stinky greens. Believed to be native to Central Asia, South Asia, or Southwester Siberia, its use has become global — a signature, even — to European culinary traditions such as Italian, Spanish, and French.
As much as it’s used to enhance the nutrients and flavors of dishes, it’s also used medicinally and spiritually in various cultures, including in China, the world’s top garlic producer. This country’s climate is ideally suited for growing garlic, which is why it provides 80% of the world’s total each year – a whopping 20 million tons!
Of the 20 tons of garlic produced by China each year, the majority come from Shandong, Henan, Hebei, Yunna, and Jiangsu—five provinces whose mild winters and warm climates soft-neck garlic find appealing. Although over 300 types of garlic are cultivated around the world, this is the category most of the garlic we consume falls under.
The name comes from the fact that their stems remain pliable, allowing them to be braided together for storage a la picturesque Italian market displays. They’re favored for mass production for their ability to stay fresh for nearly a year when stored properly, and their many-clove yield.
Garlic powder is made from these very same bulbs. It may be made from soft- or hard-necked varieties, or a mix of both. The main difference between varieties of garlic powder are their milled consistencies. The bulbs are cleaned under mild pressure to remove the papery protective skin around the head, then each clove is dried or dehydrated and milled to the manufacturer’s prescribed level of fineness. The final product can be minced garlic, coarse or granulated garlic, or soft ultra-fine true powder.
Most of what is labeled as garlic powder is really coarse-ground garlic broken down to a texture akin to dry sand on a beach. True garlic powder is ultra-fine, like cake flour. And theres also garlic salt. (More on that below.)
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Garlic Powder vs. Fresh Garlic | #StayHome Q & Ray
Are granulated garlic and garlic powder the same?
In terms of flavor, you can use granulated garlic and garlic powder interchangeably. But they’re very different in texture, you’ll need to adjust the amount you use. Granulated garlic has more air by volume due to its larger size, while garlic powder is denser.
How should one take powder garlic?
Garlic powder can be used in the preparation of foods such as broths, soups, chicken, fish, meat, beans, pates, sauces and in the most varied types of recipes.
How much granulated garlic should I use?
Double the amount of granulated garlic – for instance, two teaspoons granulated garlic for every one teaspoon garlic powder. If you prefer to think of your spices in terms of their fresh counterparts, one clove fresh garlic is roughly equivalent to ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, or ½ teaspoon granulated garlic.
Should I use garlic powder or granulated garlic?
When you want to season a dish before serving, such as meat, pasta or veggies, garlic powder is the better option. If you’re after garlic flavor, garlic powder and granulated garlic can be used interchangeably. Since they have different textures— one is coarser and one is a fine powder, adjusting the quantity for a recipe is necessary.