Neudorf Black Garlic
Te Tau Ihu, the top of the South Island of New Zealand is home to many exceptional artisan food makers who combine passion, innovation and hard work to get their products to local, national and international markets.
Noël and Teena Jelsma of Neudorf Black are on such a mission and are proud to call Neudorf Road in Upper Moutere, their permanent home once again.
After almost a decade spent living in Asia and with plans to relocate, they heard that a local black garlic producer was looking for a buyer before closing up shop. With Asia being the birthplace of black garlic and having tried the local black garlic, they were keen to take a closer look. The rest as they say is history. Fast forward and today the couple have bought and modernized the operation and are scaling up at a rate of knots.
Nestled between the sea and the mountains of the scenic Moutere, their inspired garlic ‘superfoods’ strive to capture natural nutritional benefits and deliver a definitive taste experience.
The husband and wife duo believe that good food should not come at the expense of the planet and have certified as a carbon friendly business. Their research to improve sustainability whilst creating exceptional flavour and nutrition is ongoing. Expanding the range of stockists across the country, hosting samplings and attending food fairs to introduce Neudorf Black Garlic to a new customer base, is keeping the pair constantly busy.
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Neudorf Black: Teena and Noël Jelsma
So what exactly is Black Garlic?
Rather than being a different species of garlic, black garlic is simply the natural result of a slow-cooking process. Garden-variety, standard, fresh garlic is slow-roasted for weeks under controlled conditions of low heat and high humidity.
The change that occurs is through the Maillard reaction but if that sounds too scientific, think caramelized onions. It’s the same reaction process. With garlic, the cloves naturally turn black as sugars convert and the allicin (that gives garlic its sharpness) breaks down.
The result is a sweet, strong, complex flavour profile that once tasted is never forgotten.
Neudorf Black offer this unique flavour in a liquid form for ease of drizzling over roasties, and in a tapenade form perfect for spreading on crackers with a sharp cheese.
And at the request of customers, Neudorf Black have just released an Olive Oil infused with Black Garlic.
A further pleasant surprise in addition to the amazing taste, is that even though Black Garlic is 100% garlic with nothing added, garlic-breath is non-existent. With Black Garlic there is no garlic breath – whatsoever.
Black Garlic is a flavour adventure that is taking New Zealand by storm so next time you’re at the Nelson Market, pick one up. It is a premium product but then consider this. You can’t fly to Asia right now, the birthplace of Black Garlic, but you can transport your taste-buds there for a mere $15, and that sounds pretty reasonable to us! Bon Appetit!
