Laba Garlic (腊八蒜, Chinese Green Pickled Garlic)
Everyone’s heard of green eggs and ham, but green garlic? Green garlic does exist and the color is all natural! Laba garlic is garlic pickled in rice vinegar and it turns green-blue from chemical reactions that occur during the pickling process.
Made on the 8th (ba, 八) day of the 12th month (la, 腊) of the Chinese Lunar calendar as part of the Laba Festival, Laba garlic is often eaten with dumplings on Lunar New Year’s Eve 3 weeks later.
While the next Laba Festival isn’t until January 18 of 2024, you can still make Laba garlic to pair with dumplings, noodles, or other dishes any time of the year. They’re crunchy and juicy, and the taste is sharp and garlicky, but not like eyes-watering-nose-stinging fresh garlic. Plus, the vinegar gives it a definite sourness and a subtle sweetness. You can also add this garlic-flavored vinegar to marinades, drizzle over veggies, and brighten up other dishes.
Ingredients
- Garlic: Some people like to use purple garlic, which has more allicin, but regular garlic works too. Older garlic tends to taste sharper and color faster too, perhaps because more allicin has accumulated (although allicin does have a pretty short half-life).
- Vinegar: I’ve only used Chinese black vinegar aka Zhenjiang/Chinkiang vinegar which is traditional, but any type of rice vinegar seems to work.
- Sugar: You could make this without sugar, but I like how it complements the pungency of the garlic and acidity of the vinegar.
Science behind the color!
Skip ahead if you’re not interested in the science behind this color change (it’s really cool though!).
- Garlic cells have a sulfur-containing compound called alliin floating around in their cytoplasm, or watery interior.
- Inside the cytoplasm a compartment called the vacuole stores an enzyme called alliinase.
- When the garlic is cut, the vacuole ruptures and alliinase converts alliin into allicin, the compound that gives garlic (and other alliums like onions) their signature flavor. Allicin is thus also a defense mechanism for the plant.1
- Allicin molecules interact with each other and amino acids to form pyrroles, rings of carbon and nitrogen.
- These combine to form polypyrroles and the ring structures absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light. Three- and four-membered polypyrroles have blue and green colors, and the exact color of the garlic depends on the mixture of compounds present. Pyrroles are a component of other biological pigments too, like the porphyrin rings of heme and chlorophyll (gives blood its red and leaves their green color, respectively).2
- Adding acid like vinegar helps break up the membrane separating alliinase and alliin, resulting in faster allicin and color production. However, too much acid can denature alliinase, or make it nonfunctional, as can excess heat (which is why cooking garlic takes away its sharp flavor!). Since Laba garlic is normally made during cold winter months, 3 weeks is an estimate of how long it takes the garlic to change color. Warmer conditions make it happen faster.3
- I find the biological function and chemical mechanism behind the color change fascinating!
Laba Garlic (Chinese Green Pickled Garlic)
Course: Side DishCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes40
minutesIngredients
2 heads garlic (105g for me)
150g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) Chinese black vinegar
5g (1 tsp) white granulated sugar
Directions
- Peel the garlic, separating all the cloves. Rinse and dry the cloves if desired. If there are any bad parts, cut them out.
- Fill a clean jar with the prepared garlic cloves. The jar shouldn’t be too full—leave space for the vinegar. Pour in the vinegar and sugar, and swirl the jar to mix everything. If the vinegar doesn’t cover the garlic, add a little more. The exact amounts are not important.
- Tightly close the jar, and keep in a dark, dry, cool place until the garlic looks green-blue (about 3 weeks). Heat will speed up the greening process, but too much will inhibit it (see post for more science).
- Check your garlic every couple of days or so until some pieces look green (usually ones on the bottom will change color first). You could technically eat the garlic anytime, but once they are green to your liking you can eat them. Refrigerate the jar after opening or when you want to stop the color changing process. If you let the garlic sit for too long, they may turn an unappetizing brownish color and taste differently.
- Enjoy with dumplings, soup, rice, noodles, whatever you’d like!
Notes
- Pickling time is heavily influenced by other factors such as temperature, light exposure, vinegar acidity, garlic age, and more. Adjust your time accordingly!
Sources
Wikipedia is also great if you’re still interested!
- Location of alliin, alliinase, and their properties: tastefulscience.com/2015/08/garlic/
- Garlic chemistry: curiouscook.com/site/2006/12/when-science-sniffs-around-the-kitchen.html
- Relevant info for the chef: homecookworld.com/why-did-my-garlic-turn-blue/
- Fun antimicrobial info: asm.org/Articles/2019/July/Old-Wives-Tales-and-Garlic-as-an-Antibiotic-Are-Mi
Can you use white rice vinegar
Yes, you can!
can you reuse the vinegar for another batch?
I haven’t tried it but you probably can. I’d recommended bringing the vinegar up to a boil before reusing it if you are worried about bacterial growth, but if you’ve been keeping the jar sterile/in the fridge it should be fine. I usually eat the vinegar with dumplings or use it to cook.