A Guide to Garlic Types

From fresh to dried to paste, here’s a primer on the different forms of garlic you’ll encounter in the grocery store — and when to use which.

By David McCann

Published on October 6, 2021

Garlic head and cloves over ground power of the same ingredient — Photo: Roberto Machado Noa

It's hard to believe, considering the near ubiquity of this fragrant allium in our lives today, that less than a century ago garlic was shunned in this country. And that those who revelled in its usage were, in effect, branded as "lower class." My, how times have changed. Garlic is everywhere — thank goodness.

Garlic (Allium Sativum) started it's progression towards world domination in Central Asia, but is now commonly grown throughout much of the world. Its close relatives are the other "alliums," including onions, shallots, leeks, and chives. The flavor of fresh garlic can depend not only on variety and freshness, but also on the way it's cut. The smaller you cut the cloves, the stronger the taste. This is essentially because the more that you damage the cell walls, the more the internal flavor compounds come into contact and react with each other, thus producing a stronger, more pungent taste. Accordingly, whole smashed cloves sauteed for a bit in oil and then removed will give you a hint of garlic, while minced or grated garlic will give you a more powerful garlic presence.

Of course, "fresh" isn't the only form of garlic you'll find at the supermarket. We have come to love garlic so much that there are now numerous ways to purchase it. Let's look at a few of the most common ones:

Fresh Garlic

Whole heads of garlic, consisting of a varying number of individual "cloves" encased in a papery skin is probably the most common and straightforward way we encounter garlic. This is my favorite because of the fresh, strong flavor, and the fact that nothing has been done to the garlic — no drying or grinding or preservatives. All you need to do is remove the papery skin and then slice or mince, smash or grate.

You can also find fresh, pre-peeled garlic cloves in most grocery stores. This is a great option if you need A LOT of garlic at once. It's also a wonderful choice if, like me, you freeze the peeled cloves. While freezing changes the texture, the flavor remains the same and the convenience factor is off the charts. I always have all the fresh garlic I need, but never have garlic spoil in my garlic/shallot/onion basket.

Powdered and Granulated Garlic

These two forms are simply fresh garlic that has been dried, and then dehydrated. At that point, the dried garlic can either be ground to a fine powder or ground a bit less into granules. One of the best ways to use powdered garlic is either in a dry rub (where fresh garlic would burn) or in a sauce or soup where you want the flavor to disperse evenly, and you don't want pieces of garlic. Also, if I'm spicing some mixed nuts for a cocktail accompaniment, garlic powder is a must. In general, resist the temptation to buy a huge container of the powder because it will eventually turn rock-hard. (But, if you do end up with a solid block of garlic powder, rest assured, it's still usable.)

When I don't mind some smaller pieces of garlic, it's been my experience that the granulated version has a flavor that's a bit closer to fresh. And I haven't generally found that granulated solidifies quite as easily as powdered. Either form of dried garlic is a fairly good substitute if fresh garlic is not available.

Garlic Paste

Garlic paste is simply fresh garlic, pureed with a bit of oil. It is incredibly convenient, since all you need to do is spoon out the amount that you need. However that convenience does come with a caveat: For me, the flavor is never what I hope it's going to be, and I have often detected some "off" flavors. The paste packaged in tubes seems to taste marginally better than that in jars.

If you really want the convenience of the paste, I'd suggest making your own with peeled cloves and a bit of oil in a mini food processor. I say mini because I wouldn't keep the paste in the fridge for much more than a week... so don't be tempted to make an excess, unless you're making Indian or Italian-American food for a crowd!

Minced "Fresh" Garlic

This can be a very controversial category of garlic. I know people who swear by these refrigerated jars of minced garlic in oil; I am not one of those people. I have always found the flavor to be off, and weak at the same time. The flavor of this once-fresh garlic degrades with time as it sits in its jarred solution — a solution typically containing stabilizers such as citric acid, phosphoric acid, and vegetable gum. It's hardly a surprise that jarred garlic's flavor is a stretch from the fresh, pungent garlic taste you might expect.

Plus, the texture — which would appear to be like that of actual freshly minced garlic — is off-puttingly mushy. While I completely understand the appeal of the concept, the reality (for me) is that the jars of minced "fresh" garlic are a non-starter.

Fried Garlic

Fried garlic chips are small slices of garlic, fried in oil until golden. They are cooked on low enough temperatures that they never reach that awful, acrid "burned garlic" stage. I find them delicious.They are a mainstay of many Eastern cuisines, and are beginning to make their presence known in the West. While completely different from all versions of fresh garlic, they offer great crunch and a powerful (but not overpowering) hit of garlic flavor. I think fried garlic is a worthwhile addition to your pantry, so I'd suggest buying a small container and experimenting. I think garlic lovers will really enjoy it, especially for finishing dishes with a crunchy, garlic topper.

As a garlic fanatic, I want the cleanest, purest garlic flavor I can get. And I'm willing to do a little work to obtain it, but that certainly doesn't mean that I object to convenience. My new normal is California-grown, peeled cloves (I use Christopher Ranch brand, which can be found at Costco) that I transfer to a number of freezer bags. I just pull out what I need as I need it, and gratet it using a rasp-style grater. I consider it a win-win in terms of fresh AND convenient.

The various "processed" versions of garlic will give you variations on garlic flavor, but not exactly the real deal, or the full range of flavors present in the fresh cloves. Are there times when certain recipes cause me to reach for the powdered or granulated versions? Absolutely. Am I becoming quite intrigued by the punch that fried garlic chips bring to dishes? Absolutely. But, for me, the paste and the "minced fresh" formats generally don't bring enough good garlic flavor to the party. And bringing out everything that garlic has to offer and letting it shine is the whole point. It's taken a while for this country to fully embrace garlic, so let's give it its place in the sun and in the kitchen!

Let's Get Garlicky:

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Tell us why!