Garlic

Although a native to Central Asia, garlic is widely cultivated in the Malay Archipelago and is an indispensable ingredient in the many cuisines of Indonesia. Crushed or sliced raw, it heightens the sambals and salads. If cooked, it lends flavor to nearly every curry and stew in the region; and if crisply fried, it enriches the soups. The local varieties are generally smaller, sweeter, and milder than those in the West. Look for the smallest, firmest garlic heads. Garlic with small cloves and purple-tinged skin tends to be more subtly flavored than white-skinned varieties. Don’t buy bulbs that are sprouting, a sign that they’re past their prime. Also, don’t use elephant garlic, which is actually not garlic but garlicky-tasting member of the leek family. Store garlic in a dry, cool place, such as a cupboard or a metal-lined onion-storage drawer, and try to use it within one week. A few cloves of stale, harsh-tasting garlic can skew the taste of an entire dish.