All-round, nutritious, aromatic, and flavorful – garlic makes a wholesome additive in many palatable dishes. In fact, the garlicky punch in many foods arouses our appetite, and it is indeed a spice that blends well with multiple ingredients.
Being the best companion to many savory dishes, including soups, salads, marinades, and sauces, garlic has found its way all the way to our kitchens in three basic forms. While the most elementary way of using this spice is in its raw form, we also employ it as garlic salt and garlic powder.
The key difference between garlic salt and powder is in the ingredients used to make them. Technically garlic powder is just dried and powdered/granulated garlic, and while garlic salt is prepared out of a caking agent by combining dried garlic powder and salt together.
When the ingredients are their key difference, a few other distinctions make them diverse from each other. So, if you have both of them in your pantry cupboard right now and do not know how and when to use them properly, reading this article will solve all your problems.
The Key Difference Between Garlic Salt And Garlic Powder
We all are already aware of the capability of garlic to twist-turn the taste and aroma of an entire dish. Literally, no spice can ever replace its place in our kitchens when talking in terms of its pungency and delectable flavor.
This is the leading cause why it has become a staple in many cuisines like India, Thailand, and China.
Sliced, minced, pasted, or chopped- this spice can be included in a savory dish in any way. Another reason why garlic is a versatile spice is that it is available in two other forms- garlic salt and garlic powder.
The discrepancy between garlic salt and garlic powder is an essential element to know when cooking. Consequently, the chief difference between the two is about the ingredients used. Garlic salt is generally just dried garlic granulated or grounded into a powder. On the contrary, garlic salt is produced from a caking agent by mixing three parts of salt into one part of dried garlic powder.
Simply, it is more like a complex version of salt with a subtle garlicky flavor. Therefore, garlic salt is evidently more salty than garlic powder.
Garlic is a key ingredient used in making Italian sausage. If you are a sausage lover and interested in learning more about the spices used in Italian sausage, click here fr a detailed article.
More About Garlic Powder And Its Uses
Garlic powder is a spice that is obtained from dehydrated garlic and employed in cooking for flavor intensification. The method of producing garlic powder includes drying and dehydrating the garlic cloves and then grinding them through machinery or home-based devices depending on the production system.
Garlic powder goes in with any recipe that calls for dried or fresh garlic, and the difference is in the strength of flavor. In regard to versatility, garlic powder is a real winner over raw garlic. But, that does not utterly mean that powdered garlic is better than fresh ones.
However, garlic powder can be a quick go-to taste enhancer in many dishes like:
- Garlic toast
- Meatballs
- Meatloaf
- Chili
- Hamburgers
- Marinades
- Sauces
- Stews
- Salad dressings
- Rubs
- Taco fillings
- Guacamole
Fresh Garlic vs Garlic Powder
Though we can use garlic powder with the recipes that we habitually use fresh garlic, there are a few differences that you should learn between the two.
The table below is a comparison chart that will explain the particular differences. And one thing you should know is that 1/8 teaspoons of garlic powder equals one clove of garlic.
| Fresh Garlic | Garlic Powder |
| Can germinate and go bitter in a few days | Can be stored up to 2-3 years |
| It has to be peeled and then minced, sliced, or chopped before adding to dishes. | Versatile and less messy just have to be sprinkled on food |
| Fresher and pungent in flavor and aroma | Less fresh and not so intense in flavor or aroma |
| It does not go in nicely with water-sensitive food like meatballs. | Best with water-sensitive food as it contains a lower moisture level. |
| Rich in protein, fiber, calcium, iron, and Phosphorus | Lesser calories and less in nutrients than fresh ones |
Garlic Salt And Its Uses
Garlic salt gives a garlicky-salty blow to many dishes that require a bit more intensive seasoning. Store-bought ones are abundant, but still, you can make your own at home too.
As mentioned before, this condiment is made by mixing three parts of kosher, table or sea salt into one part of dried and powdered garlic. It primarily functions as a seasoning agent and can also be included in food like:
- French fries
- Avocado toast
- Pizza
- Baked Salmon
- Popcorn
- Shrimp
- Soups
- Stews
- Pasta
- Roasted vegetables
- In dips
- In marinades
- Toppings
Can Garlic Salt And Garlic Powder Replace Each Other?
A bit of a tricky question this is! Well, meanwhile, garlic salt can unquestionably taste so good; in some instances, you should use garlic salt in moderation since too much sodium consumption could adversely affect your health.
Alternatively, you can use garlic powder. Gratefully, garlic powder is a wonderful substitute for garlic. And it is indeed an excellent choice when you don’t want the garlic to dominate the intact dish, and you just want a light dash of it on your food.
Moreover, garlic powder can even be used to make dry rubs that could be employed in smoking or grilling meat. While on the contrary, you cannot expect as much versatility with garlic salt due to the higher salt content.
However, you can utilize it as a finishing touch. For example, it will taste great when added as a flavoring to french fries and roasted vegetables.
Yet, what we suggest is that garlic salt should be used occasionally. If, in case you or your family fancy garlic salt so much and don’t want to use garlic powder, it is really important that you have it in moderation. You may not know that garlic salt only has about one-fourth of garlic in its contents.
So logically, if you desire a genuine garlic kick, the best thing is to use garlic powder rather than garlic salt. Hence, you will have less chance to overcompensate your plate with salt.
To counterbalance the taste, you can opt for an authentic garlic powder and then add some extra salt or anything that would give a salty zest.
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What Is The Difference Between Fresh Garlic Vs Garlic Salt?
Although our topic is prominent to discuss the differences between garlic powder and garlic salt, we cannot skip the part when we talk about fresh garlic- the fountainhead of both garlic products! Thus, it is crucial to know how fresh garlic and garlic salt differ from each other.
Well, in loud and clear terms, garlic salt is merely a by-product derived from raw or fresh garlic. Apart from that, since a greater percentage of it is salt, it will not truly succeed fresh garlic in places that have to be used.
In the world of culinary, generally, when a particular spice is blended and incorporated with salt, we call it a seasoning. Therefore, while garlic is whole as a spice, garlic salt is otherwise considered a seasoning. And fresh garlic gives out a more pungent and sharp garlicky taste, while garlic salt is more about the flavor of salt.
Regarding the nutrition value, fresh garlic is apparently way more plentiful in protein, calcium, iron, and Phosphorus when compared to garlic salt. The reason for this is, as mentioned above, only one-fourth of garlic is included in salt, and that is also in its powdered form. Thus, fresh garlic is considered healthier to consume more than garlic salt.
Is Garlic Powder The Same As Garlic Salt?
So if you have been going through our article so far, you might already have some idea as to what garlic salt and garlic powder are and what their key difference is. However, we can see that there are a lot of similarities between these two condiments apart from their differences.
In fact, they both use garlic powder as a base ingredient. But, as we mentioned a few times back, garlic salt is a combination of salt and garlic powder, and most of its content contains salt.
In comparison, garlic powder is made by dehydrating and grinding dried garlic cloves. Generally, no other ingredient is added to authentic garlic powder.
Therefore, we can say that garlic salt and garlic powder are not the same, but they are two different condiments made with similar base ingredients to enhance the taste of the foods.
Garlic Salt Vs Garlic Powder – The Explanation
Things may not hit your brain at once when we say that garlic salt is pretty different from garlic powder. Therefore, we thought of preparing this chart below so that you can understand things more clearly and precisely.
This chart explains the significant differences between garlic powder and garlic salt.
| Garlic Powder | Garlic Salt |
| Made only from dried garlic | Made from dried garlic powder mixed with table/ kosher/sea salt. |
| It smells and tastes milder than actual garlic but has a more garlicky flavor. | Has a more salty flavor and tastes less garlicky. |
| Garlic cloves are initially peeled, sliced, and then heated in the oven to dehydrate. | Table/ kosher/ sea salt is just combined with garlic powder. |
| Since there is no salty taste, the final taste of a dish is controllable. | Have to use it with moderation due to the high contents of salt. |
| Versatile than garlic salt as it can be used as a substitute for fresh garlic. Can be employed in toppings, rubs, sauces, and soups. | Less adaptable compared to garlic powder. It can be used in french fries, roasted vegetables, baked salmon, and soups. |
Is Garlic Powder Healthier Than Garlic Salt?
Just like the taste of a product, versatility and nutrition are equally important when taken into consumption. In that case, when talking in terms of garlic powder and garlic salt, we should see what has more health properties.
Fresh garlic has many health benefits, and it is plentiful in protein, iron, calcium, and Phosphorus. However, when garlic is dehydrated and made into a powder, the nutrients of garlic may be reduced to some extent.
And, accordingly, since only one part of garlic powder is included in three parts of salt in garlic salt, the nutrition level, nevertheless, goes down even more.
Moreover, as garlic salt contains high amounts of salt, too much consumption may have negative effects on your health. Overconsumption of sodium can have the following health impacts.
Short-term Effects
- Bloating -when your stomach feels puffy or stiff, it is one of the most typical short-term consequences of consuming too much salt. It helps your body keep water, so excess fluid builds up.
- Weakness and fatigue- When there is too much sodium in your blood, water streams out of your cells to bring down the salt. As a result, you may feel thirsty.
- High blood pressure- The metamorphosis in blood pressure occurs through your kidneys, and excessive amounts of salt make it more challenging for them to get rid of fluid you don’t require. Consequently, your blood pressure may rise.
- Swelling of hands, feet, and ankles- Extra sodium in your body can end up swelling your body parts.
- Thirst- Too much sodium can ultimately lead to dehydration. So, when sodium draws water from your cells, you might trigger thirst.
- Weight gain- When you have water, you may encounter weight gain.
- Sleeping disturbances- If you overconsume salt before bed, it can lead to disruptions in your sleep.
- Discomforts in the stomach- Excessive sodium in your body could potentially lead to nausea or diarrhea.
Long term effects
- Enlarged heart muscle
- Heart failure
- Headaches
- Kidney diseases
- Kidney stones
- Stroke
- Stomach cancer
- Osteoporosis
Therefore, when all the facts are taken into consideration, we can see that garlic powder can be healthier than consuming garlic salt.
Which Is Better- Garlic Powder Or Garlic Salt
Well, here’s another tricky question! Actually, we can’t give a precise answer to this question since using garlic salt, and garlic powder always depends on the purpose.
Garlic powder is grounded dry garlic with a relatively gentle flavor that is utilized in lots of Asian cooking. On the contrary, garlic salt is a blend of garlic powder and salt to make a salty seasoning employed in many recipes like hamburgers, french fries, or roasted vegetables.
However, when considering with reference to nutrition and versatility, we can say that garlic powder is always a champion. But, again, it depends when it comes to your requirement.
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A Quick Glance On Health Benefits Of Garlic
Since we discussed many facts about fresh garlic, garlic powder, and garlic salt, we thought you would be interested in knowing some of the health benefits of garlic. Hence, let us have a brief notice about a few of the many advantages you get by consuming garlic:
- Garlic lowers harmful cholesterol levels- An intake of half to one clove of garlic per day reduces cholesterol levels by about 10%.
- Boosts cardiovascular health- Research has shown that consuming garlic has a positive impact on arteries, regulating blood pressure, reducing heart diseases and heart attacks.
- Prevents inflammation- Regular garlic and garlic oil consumption may alleviate inflammation and avoid cartilage damage from arthritis.
- Promotes skin health- Garlic contains anti-bacterial and antioxidants that could kill acne-causing bacteria.
- Boosts immunity- Raw and cooked garlic can have potential benefits in boosting immunity and lowering colon cancer.
- Fights fungus- Garlic can have great results in reducing symptoms of Athlete’s foot. Rubbing raw garlic can relieve itch-causing fungus.
Giving You The Garlicky Epilogue…
Garlic is undoubtedly an aromatic, flavorful, and healthy spice that could add excellent palatability to many dishes. So, garlic powder and salt made with garlic as the base ingredient, too, can give a great touch to the food we make.
The use of these two condiments may vary and depend on the purpose. However, we can say that garlic powder is a healthier and more versatile option when compared to garlic salt.
So, we have done our part by enlightening you with relevant facts, so the choice is yours to choose what you need. Overall, we can say that they both can give an exceptional flavor and texture to our meals.
