Okay, so maybe "afraid" is a strong word, but lately we've been hearing feedback from various people that their friends are afraid to try cooking with black garlic. We get it...using new ingredients, especially ingredients this unique, can be scary.

You don't want to buy some (probably online, as many grocery stores still don't carry black garlic) and spend your hard-earned money just to determine you hate it. You don't want to serve up something that took hours to make to your family and friends to lukewarm reviews. And it's black...it doesn't exactly feel very appetizing if you're used to only seeing white garlic.

We want to be the first ones to tell you...black garlic doesn't have to be scary! As a company that produces and sells black garlic, we understand why you might be thinking, "Well of course you think that!" But we really have your best interests at heart!

There are tons of reasons why trying new things, black garlic or other wacky ingredients, is good for you. Whether it's a new food, new exercise class or a different route to work in the morning, trying new things has the power to keep life exciting, keep you on your toes, and open your eyes to new possibilities!

Here are our top 5 reasons you should let go of your fear and try something new today:

1. Trying something new can keep life from becoming boring.

There's this horrible old saying that only boring people get bored. If your mother is anything like my mother, you probably heard this quite a lot growing up. But now that we're older, we can sort of see the beauty of it. The world is a big beautiful place with endless possibilities. There is never an excuse to be bored!

This also goes for food. Whether you live in Chicago or you live in Sparta, Wisconsin, the possibilities for new ingredients, cooking methods and new dishes are endless. If your local grocery store doesn't have the special ingredient you need for a recipe you want to try, go online! The beauty of our digital world is that truly anything is possible...don't waste that!

2. Trying new, unique ingredients can add a new element of health and wellness to your life.

To be perfectly frank, the nutrition trend sort of drives us bonkers. "This magical ingredient will make your stubborn belly fat disappear!" "X ingredient will protect you against all disease." "You must do these 23 things every morning to get glowing skin!"

The truth of the matter is, there's no magic bullet for our health. Our health depends on treating our bodies right, nourishing ourselves with wholesome ingredients and getting a good amount of exercise. It would be so much easier if there was one ingredient to protect us against disease, but we truly are what we eat, so we should fill ourselves with foods scientifically proven to have positive effects on our health.

Black garlic is full of all those good ingredients to help us on our way to healthy bodies. Antioxidants, vitamins, omega 3s and more. Want more information? Here ya go.

3. Adding new ingredients to your diet opens the realm of recipe possibilities.

We know just as well as anyone else that it's so easy to fall into a recipe rut. It's easy to stick with what you know and make the same meals week in and week out. Here's the thing though: we get so bored with that!

Adding a new ingredient to your life can open up new doors in terms of following recipes or even experimenting with the old ones! Whether you find something you've never tried before or you add black garlic to an old favorite, we guarantee you'll have fun in the process and maybe find a way to improve one of your favorite dishes (is that even possible?!)

4. Black garlic can be eaten for dessert.

That's right. One of the ingredients that black garlic pairs best with is chocolate. The molassesy, balsamicy goodness of black garlic adds a delicious, rich subtlety to chocolate desserts that will blow your mind.

Add a homemade raspberry sauce on top and you have heaven. Check out our Dessert Recipe page for options that will knock your socks off.

5. Because...why not?

There are so many studies out there about how facing your fears will not only help you overcome them, but will help you become a more confident person in other areas of your life. So what's stopping you from ordering black garlic? Be adventurous, be bold and surprise yourself!

We want to challenge you this week to do something that scares you just a little bit, whether that's trying a little black garlic (if you need help, check out our recipe pages), running a little bit faster or further, or trying something completely new. 

If you decide you want to hop on the black garlic train (We hope we've convinced you!), check out our shop. Bonus: shipping is always free!

Happy adventuring!