Caramelized garlic wins best new product award

(Courtesy of Sofi Awards)

A jar of sliced, caramelized garlic accented with basil oil has been named the best new gourmet product of the year.

GarLic it! Private Reserve Caramelized Garlic Finish beat out nine other sofi Awards finalists Monday night at the 57th annual Summer Fancy Food Show, which was hosted by Iron Chef and TV personality Cat Cora in Washington DC.

The annual trade show is a launchpad for the year's best new gourmet and specialty foods around the world.

Triple-blanched to remove the burn and mellow out the normally potent bulb, GarLic it! slices can be eaten straight out of the jar and used to top grilled salmon, pasta, Caesar salad, shrimp, and baked potatoes.

The caramelized version provides a deep flavor that's described as toasty, soft, and sweet.

An expert 'Supermarket Guru' on ABC News who provides product reviews on grocery store items every week gave the brand's savory basil flavor his stamp of approval, pointing out that unlike most of the garlic bought and consumed in the US, GarLic it! uses bulbs grown locally in the state of Washington.

"I love this product, I couldn't stop eating it," said Phil Lempert. "...This for me was a great hit, a great find for me."

Other finalists in the best new category award included Big Island Bees Lehua & Cinnamon honey, sourced from a blossom native only to Hawaii; Happy Goat Vanilla Caramel Sauce, made from 100 percent goat milk; and buttery Mangalista ham from Johnston County Hams.

This year the competition received a record 2,326 entries across all 33 awards, including 464 entries for Outstanding New Product.

A 5.5 oz jar of GarLic it! is $9.95.

For more info, visit http://www.garlicit.com/. The product ships free within the US.