Everything to know about garlic: types, benefits and recipe ideas - Ingredient Guide

Dec 12, 2025

It's a kitchen staple, and an important – sometimes essential – ingredient in a range of international cuisines and in many of our favourite dishes. But when was the last time you really thought about the garlic you buy?

When you’re out shopping for fresh vegies, you can choose from a bunch of different varieties of tomato, leafy greens of all descriptions and potatoes suited to every cooking style. But when it comes to garlic? Well, that’s usually all there is – ‘garlic’.

Is there more than one kind of garlic?

There sure is. Garlic comes in two main types – softneck and hardneck. But these then branch into around 10 different groups, and within these groups there are a huge number of cultivars, each with different flavours, colours and clove sizes and numbers. All up, there are more than 600 different types of garlic out there. If you want to explore different types of garlic, your best bet is to visit local farmers’ markets and see what’s available.

So what kind of garlic do we get here in Australia?

The majority of garlic you’ll find on sale in Australia is high-yielding, commercially cultivated garlic imported from China. It can be kept in cold storage for up to two years, may be sprayed with growth retardant to stop it from sprouting, and may even have been bleached to produce unnaturally pure white bulbs.

How can I tell if my garlic is fresh?

The skin should be intact, tight and papery; and the cloves should feel firm and plump. The garlic should feel heavy for its size.

Should I store garlic in the fridge?

Peeled cloves should be stored in the fridge, but you shouldn’t store unpeeled garlic in the fridge, as the moisture can lead to your garlic sprouting or becoming mouldy. Instead, store your garlic in a cool, dark place, such as your pantry.

Garlic prep — How you prep your garlic can affect the flavour of your dish.

How to prepare garlic

Did you know that the way you prepare your garlic can have an impact on the intensity of its flavour? The smaller you chop or mince your garlic, the more pungent that wonderful garlic flavour will be. This is due to a compound called allicin, which is released when the cell walls of the garlic are broken.

Crushing garlic with the back of a knife really breaks down those cell walls, and will add a delicious strong garlic flavour to recipes like sauces and marinades.
Slicing garlic (using a good, sharp knife) will deliver a more subtle garlic flavour, as fewer cell walls are broken down. This is ideal for dishes that call for a more mellow garlic flavour, such as pasta sauces.
Mincing garlic is a great way to get a good, strong garlic flavour into your dishes. As the garlic is finely chopped into tiny pieces, this will distribute it throughout the dish, adding flavour as it goes. Minced garlic is perfect in risottos and stir-fries, and as part of a flavour base at the initial stages of a dish. But note that, as it’s small, minced garlic will burn easily, so when adding it to your pan, only cook long enough for it to become fragrant, then add the next ingredient right away.
Grating garlic will give you a powerful garlic flavour, particularly if you grate it and then crush the grated bits with the back of a knife. You can use this in cooking, but it also adds a real garlic ‘kapow’ to dressings and sauces, and will also help make an epic garlic butter for homemade garlic bread.

What about minced garlic in jars, or garlic powder?

Those bulbs sitting in cold storage for two years? If they haven’t found a buyer within this time, they’re then dehydrated to make powders or granules. The cheap crushed garlic you see in supermarkets is often made with rehydrated old bulbs. These products are handy in a pinch, but offer very little flavour compared to the real thing.

Is garlic good for you?

It most certainly is. The compounds in garlic – including that pungent allicin – offer a range of health benefits. It’s believed that these compounds may have antimicrobial and antiviral properties, which means it can help you stay healthy. Research suggests it may also help reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol, and possibly even help to protect you against Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. The best effects come from consuming raw garlic, but if that’s too much for your taste, you can also buy garlic supplements.

Parmesan focaccia with confit garlic and rosemary.

How to get rid of garlic breath

Garlic breath can really stick around, and somehow seems to get more powerful as time goes on. So what is the best way to get rid of it? Brushing and flossing can help, but as you digest garlic, its byproducts move through your bloodstream and into your lungs, which means you’re actually breathing out garlic. Follow up brushing and flossing with some mouthwash, or chew spearmint gum, which can temporarily neutralise garlic breath. One study out of the US has found that apples, mint leaves and lettuce leaves appear to reduce garlic breath, although they’re yet to fully understand why.

Can dogs eat garlic?

Definitely not. All alliums – garlic, onion, leeks and chives – are toxic to dogs, and can cause damage to red blood cells, potentially causing a severe type of anaemia. Note that it can take several days for symptoms to appear. If your dog eats garlic, seek advice from your local vet.

Garlic prawn pizza — These garlic prawn pizzas call for crushed garlic.

Garlic recipes for dinner

If you’ve got a hankering for some garlic after reading all of this (and don’t have to kiss anyone later), why not try some of our favourite garlic recipes?

With all this new garlic knowledge under your belt, you’re now ready to crush it in the kitchen. Plus, you’ll also be fully prepared for any vampire emergencies that may arise. Case cloved.