Garlic: minced, crushed, chopped, sliced. When to use each one, and what is the difference? I’ve seen, in many recipes, that the usage of garlic varies a lot.

For example: Meaty sauces normally require that the garlic is chopped and fried before the meat is added.

Neapolitan Pizzas usually add sliced, raw garlic in very thin slices to be cooked with the pizza

Some other sauces require crushed garlic to be crushed and fried (generally with onion) before adding other ingredients.

I’ve seen as well some recipes calling for a garlic paste, made with some salt and knife skills.

Lately, I’ve been using very thin slices of garlic added in the beginning/middle of the cooking process of the sauce.

My question: What is the difference between dicing, slicing, crushing, or making a paste? What is the difference between frying the garlic before or adding it to the cooking sauce? Which one adds more flavor?

Thanks in advance.
Dice or slice when the garlic will be consumed along with the other ingredients.

Crush in order to release more flavor. If you add it whole it can be removed afterwards.

Make paste when you don't want it to be visible and all its flavor to be strong and evenly distributed in the dish (e.g. hummus as it is a paste itself, you wouldn't want it to have little lumps in it).

Use whole garlic cloves in slow cooker, and it will release its scent and flavor with time. You can remove it afterwards, the flavor will be there regardless.

Processing it before adding other ingredients, makes it release its scent and get mild-flavored.

All methods except processing will add strong flavor to your dish. The paste will be the strongest, as you consume all of the garlic.