The UMAMI of BLACK GARLIC
What is Umami?
Umami is a sense on the tongue to detect protein in food, which we describe as "savory."
What makes black garlic have "umami"?
Black garlic is naturally high in the amino acid "glutamic acid."
Glutamic acid is a building block of proteins, in the acidic form (black garlic is naturally slightly acidic, with a pH of around 3.5)
"MSG", the artificial food additive found in cheap soy sauces, is the salt-form of glutamic acid: mono-sodium-glutamate.
The tongue can detect glutamate, a negatively charged form of glutamic acid that occurs in neutral pH such as the pH of human saliva. When the glutamic acid lands on the tongue, the proton comes off the glutamic acid and becomes glutamate.
Pow! Black garlic umami kick!
And when spread onto meat or other neutral pH foods, the black garlic's glutamic acid can become glutamate, contributing to the umami flavor of the dish. Umami pow!