If you’ve ever thought that quinoa tastes a little bitter, that’s likely because its mildly toxic coating, saponin.

But this is easily removed by rinsing, then, ideally, toasting the “pseudocereal”.

The source of garlic’s bitterness, though, is a little tougher to tackle.

The chemical allicin, which is responsible for the bulb’s signature biting taste, breaks down into diallyl disulfide when you damage (i.e., cut, smash, or grate) garlic.

This strong-tasting compound intensifies the more damage the cloves sustain. And while this can be welcome in some dishes, sometimes, you want a softer, sweeter flavour.

How can I make garlic less bitter?

For Nigella Lawson, the answer lies in roasting the bulb.

In her cauliflower soup recipe, she wrote, “Baking the garlic gives a lot of depth while taking away any potential for bitter heat”.

Science has her back.

Cooking garlic “destroys” allicin,

© HuffPost