Multi Award Winning

Growing up with a foodie family living off the land, inspiration was everywhere for Julian Sibly, It is little wonder he has launched the West Australian Black Garlic and Co range of culinary ingredients featuring Organically Grown Black Garlic.

Julian was born in Adelaide, South Australia. One of his earliest memories is pitching in with his Estonian grandparents on their smallholding near Gawler, the gateway to the Barossa Valley, to trim the grapevines during Winter.

 “I started experimenting with natural foods and flavours even back then. I took some vine grapes from the harvest home and made my own grape juice,” Julian recalls. 

 “A great deal of my inspiration comes from my grandparents. They did most things themselves, like most rural immigrant families back in the day. There was always something good and simple to eat or drink, and plenty of it.”

The young innovator moved on from tea to alcohol, making beer for his Mother at the age of ten. Although not a drinker himself at that age, he was fascinated by the alchemy of hops, malted grain, yeast and the botanical flavours that would transform this bitter brew into floral, fruity elixir. “The layers of flavour seemed to make a very strong connection back to the organic produce my grandparents grew, and I realised early on that taste is a memory pathway. For me, it is the link back to my family’s strong food culture and forwards to endless possibilities.” 

Julian’s interests in flavours, provenance and quality were developed into a rare skill set by experiences in the family traditions of making, beer, preserves and cordials. “I just never lost interest. Flavour creation is such a wide world; it can take a lifetime to explore.”

His explorations took him out of South Australia to Western Australia during his career in Health and Safety. Here in the West, he finds plenty of inspiration in the abundant array of flowers, fruits, vegetables, honey and native ingredients available in multiple varieties in every corner of the largest State in the country. He has even won Royal Agricultural Society medals for his experimental beers and porters, but that is another story.

Before the children arrived, Julian and his wife Dionne explored the best wineries and restaurants of the South West and developed a strong sense of the WA food and wine style. “Add to the pot Christmas and Easter holidays with the Estonian relatives in the SA foodie, and I suppose I had no choice but to develop the Black Garlic and Co range. There is a deep competitive streak behind my family gatherings, and I wanted to prove that the move to WA was an unbeatable source of inspiration. I like to think one or two of them were impressed. During my last visit to South Australia with my wife and two sons for Christmas where I used our vinegars in a traditional Estonian raw fish dish and to marinate some meat we used to cook over a charcoal barbie. We have always been very keen at using charcoal for cooking our meats. Of course, the black garlic cloves pair beautifully with local South Australian produce. I distinctly remember using a goat’s cheese from the Adelaide Hills which perfectly matched the Black Garlic. I recall they were impressed with the combinations. Our family Christmases have always been competitive and about who can make the best but at the same time develop unusual creations”.

The Jarrah honey used in the Black Garlic and Co Aged Black Garlic and Jarrah Honey Balsamic Vinegar is one of WA’s great treasures. Not only does it have a very high Total Activity Count (the way honey’s ability to kill bacteria is measured) it has a unique, rich depth of flavour, unlike any other kinds of honey. “I had a strong feeling Jarrah would bring out the umami and sweet notes of Black Garlic without over-powering their subtlety. Add that together with the best quality Merlot Balsamic Vinegar out there and I reckoned I could be on to something. Plus, Jarrah Honey is harvested right where the garlic is organically grown, in Margaret River, so it made perfect sense.” 

Sweetness, sourness and umami are three of the valuable elements of the world’s finest cuisines, and the range of Black Garlic and Co Vinegars deliver that trio in one hit. Vegans are not forgotten either, “Goji berries are fascinating,” explains Julian. “The floral note is quite exotic and fragrant, and the natural sweetness pops out exactly where it needs to be. I’m very pleased with the way this one turned out.” 

Of course, the infused culinary vinegar range would not be around if it was not for the Mother ingredient, the strong and silent powerhouse of umami flavour and healthy antioxidants. Black Garlic’s health benefits are well known in folk medicine and peer-reviewed journals, but for the culinary ingredients range, Julian wanted to fine-tune the magical biochemical process that turns raw garlic into sweet, rich, savoury Black Garlic. 

“The biochemistry is fascinating. It is not fermentation as there are no gas-forming bacterial cultures at work. This is a string of slow and subtle chemical reactions that we can coax out with time, temperature and TLC.” The Original Black Garlic Whole Cloves can be used in cooked dishes to impart that rich, distinctive but gentle flavour that is very much in fashion but also a strong supporting character. “It adds that extra layer of flavour, that depth of character that elevates a dish from “good” to “wow”. The best thing is probably that Black Garlic is not a show-off ingredient, but once it is in the dish, you will realise you just cannot do without it”.

Non-cooks can also enjoy Original Black Garlic Cloves on a grazing platter like dried grapes or figs to add a counterpoint to sharp cheeses or salty cured meats. “We have even dipped them in dark organic chocolate and eaten them like candies,” says Julian. “I do not think there is any way I have not eaten a clove of Black Garlic, and no one would know as the pungent scent of raw garlic is absent, so no need for a breath mint afterwards.”