Aomori Kuro Ninniku

"Aomori Kuro Ninniku" is a processed garlic food product made using only the Fukuchi White variety of garlic, a large garlic variety grown in Aomori Prefecture, and then aged at high temperatures.

The edible part is black and has a texture resembling dried fruit and a sour-sweet flavor, allowing it to be eaten as it is. It contains abundant functional ingredients related to immunity and cerebral functions.
　The black garlic has been branded and exported to 25 overseas countries. In 2018, it won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Prize of the Awards for Excellence in Production for Local Consumption.

The raw material for "Aomori Kuro Ninniku" is the "Fukuchi White" variety, a large-sized cold-climate garlic variety grown in Aomori Prefecture, or an improved variety of this (hereafter referred to as the "Fukuchi White" family).
　The black garlic is produced by thoroughly drying the outer skin, clove skin, flower stalk, and basal plate while maintaining the water content in the edible part, i.e., the cloves, and then aging at elevated temperatures for a specific period.
　The shipping standards are: water content of 45% or higher but not exceeding 65%, sugar content of at least 40°Brix, and pH lower than 4.6.

Aomori Prefecture has a cool climate that suits the production of "Fukuchi White" family garlic, and its total output started around 1965. Today, it boasts the top garlic production in Japan, accounting for about 70% of all shipments in the country. Thus, the area is where the essential high-quality ingredient for producing "Aomori Kuro Ninniku" is available.
　In 2004, the first development of "Kuro Ninniku" started in the prefecture. Since 2006, research and development have continued on production methods and to improve the quality, and total production began in the following year.
　In 2008, Aomori-ken Kuro Ninniku Kyokai (Aomori Black Garlic Association) was founded by producers and distributors of "Kuro Ninniku". The public and private sectors have worked together to improve processing technologies, ensure quality control of the products, and promote sales and exports.
　In 2018, The World Black Garlic Association was established to promote voluntary hygiene control of production facilities related to "Kuro Ninniku" and laid down the "Food Safety Certificate System on Black Garlic".
　Today, the market of "Aomori Kuro Ninniku" has expanded nationwide as well as to European, American, and Asian countries. Black garlic is exported to 25 countries and has grown into an essential industry in the area.