Page 8 - FEB 2020 Digital

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On a blustery February day in Pensacola, Florida in 2017, A happy accident of one click Amazon shopping while Chef Matthew Brown was battling a pneumonia fueled fever turned into some serious Chemistry and a lot of brainstorming. After much taste testing, tweaking, and finally branding, Brown along with his partner Sandy Veilleux decided to share their flavorful Black Gar- lic with the world.
BG196-A Flavor Bomb is Born
Ray Sheehan
BBQ Buddha
Ray@BBQBuddha.com
BG196 translates to Black Garlic. The 196 is the number of hours that it takes for the garlic to process. Although, the process of making black garlic is often called ‘fermenting’, the actual process does not involve fermenting, but rather, a microbial breakdown process called the Maillard Reaction. Garlic turns black due to a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars that occur at warm temperatures and causes the sugars to cook down and brown, though this stops short of caramelizing, it works to inten- sify the savory umami flavor of the garlic.
With this project Brown and Veilleux are trying to do more with less. They are growing the BG196 brand all the while creating projects in their community to create economic possibilities and farming projects. So far, they have teamed up with Craft Bakery in Pensacola, where Chef Jordan Hewes uses their black garlic skins to flavor a sourdough starter for a BG196 baguette and they have partnered with The Hummus Lady to create a wildly delicious black garlic hummus that she sells at local markets in Florida.
The BG196 product line which started with single bulbs selling at retail for $8 is constantly evolving and growing. The line now in- cludes BG196 by the pound $30, peeled $40, BG196 infused Honey 16oz jar $19, BG196 Honey with Pecans $25, Hats $18, and chef patches $8. And that’s not all, Sandy Veilleux says that there are
When I asked the crew at BG196 how best packed garlic, they responded with “Close pop it in your mouth.... enjoy the ride!”
But what exactly does it taste like? With a flavor black garlic has
notes of honey and vanilla
and is a more delicate op-
to enjoy their flavor your eyes, inhale and
softer, molasses-like
tion than the raw bulb. Traditionally it was used in Asian cuisine, but it can be used in any recipe in which you would use roasted garlic. However, it does pair well with fatty cheeses, steaks, poultry, chocolate, plum, blackber- ries, and even desserts.
Brown and Veilleux began full production of the gar-
Photo
Courtesy of BG196
Photo Courtesy of BG196
more products in the works such as a black gar- lic mustard and a BG288 using elephant garlic that will come from local Dur- den Farms.
“This is a culinary adven- ture not only for Chefs and Pitmasters, but for anyone who enjoys food.” Said Sandy Veilleux. You can reach her and her team by phone 850-221-1678 or via Black Garlic Market on Facebook for any ques- tions, or to order.
BarbecueNews.com - 8
FEBRUARY 2020
Photo Courtesy of Matthew Brown Club.
lic at The Farm, in Pensacola Florida in January of 2018. Shortly after their launch, they enlisted the help of award-winning Chef Hiram Quintana as their Brand Ambassador. While Quintana has introduced BG196 to many BBQ and SCA competitors, the company has sup- ported over twenty teams and helped them win some serious hardware in various competitions including the Steak category at the World Food Championships.
Some of the top competitors and chefs that are using BG196 in their winning dishes and restaurants include Robert Mansfield-World Steak Champion, Tommy Shive- World Burger Champion, Pitmaster George Przy- bylski Jr. of Bang Bang BBQ, Chef Rudy Rudolph, and Dany Tremblay of Wally BBQ to name a few. In addition, there are many Gulf Coast restaurants that feature BG196 infused creations on their menus such as Union
Public House, Red Fish Blue Fish, and the Flora Bama Yacht