Fresh versus Powdered Garlic: What is Best?

Over the years of cooking, I’ve noticed that people tend to have very strong, almost emotional opinions about garlic. I’ve had people dramatically declare, “Penny, I hate garlic. It doesn’t matter what kind it is—I just hate it, and if I eat it, I’ll get sick!” To which I can only think, “Well… you just ate my dinner, and it was packed with garlic. You don’t seem sick…”

Then there’s my husband. When we first got married, he insisted he was allergic to garlic and would break out in large red hives if he ate it. Imagine his surprise when I casually mentioned that I’d been slipping garlic into our meals for almost a year! Turns out, it wasn’t all in his head. By sheer coincidence, I had only been using cooked garlic the whole time.

One day, I minced some fresh garlic for a salad dressing—no cooking involved—and bam! His face erupted in big red hives, just as he’d warned. So, I had to investigate. After some experimenting, I discovered that cooked garlic—in any form, whether roasted, sautéed, or slow-cooked—was totally fine. Even garlic powder was safe.

Now, here’s where things get funny: I grew up thinking that real chefs only use fresh garlic and that garlic powder was for people who didn’t know their way around a kitchen. But after testing the waters, I found that most people actually prefer garlic powder in things like dressings and dips where the garlic isn’t cooked. The one weird exception? Pesto. I guess the heat from blending it with hot pasta counts as cooking it a little, which makes all the difference.

Hope this was helpful; please let me know your thoughts and experiences,

Happy Cooking!

Penny