Cookbook:Ginger

Ginger
Category	Herbs and spices

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Ginger is a plant used as an aromatic or spice. It is grown throughout the tropical areas of the world.

Though generally referred to as a "root", ginger is actually the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinalis that grows in knobby clusters sometimes called "hands".^[1] The rhizome is covered in a dry tan skin, and the yellow inner flesh is hard and fibrous but juicy.^[1] The flavor of ginger is pungent and sweetly aromatic,^[2][3][4] caused in large part by gingerol compounds (hot, pungent) and zingiberene,^[4][5] along with other compounds that provide lemony and rosemary notes.^[1][5] When cooked, the gingerol is converted to the sweeter and milder zingerone.^[4][5]

Fresh ginger may be dried and ground to a powder.^[5] This drying process results in the conversion of gingerol to shogaol, which is much spicier, and the deterioration of some other complex aromatic compounds.^[5] This makes dried ginger more pungent and less complex than fresh.^[1][4][6]

The most expensive, and highest quality varieties, generally come from India and Jamaica while most mass market ginger is grown in China. When purchasing fresh ginger, look for firm heavy roots with shiny skin; wrinkled and/or thick skin is reflective of older, drier ginger.^[2][3][7] The fresh, whole root is best stored in the fridge, where it will keep from 1–4 weeks.^[1][3][7] Fresh ginger can also be frozen^[2][7]—in this case, it's best to peel and slice/grate it for ease of use later on.

Fresh ginger is usually peeled before use, unless you have a young immature root with very thin skin.^[2][3] This can be done by vegetable peeler, scraping with a metal spoon edge,^[7] or cutting with a paring knife.

The way you break down the root will affect both its textural presence in a dish and the degree of flavor.^[8] If you want to fully incorporate the ginger into your dish with maximum flavor but without any of the fibers, finely grating it is the best option.^[8] Slicing into coins is best when you don't intend to eat the pieces and you just want to infuse the flavor^[8]—the pieces are unpleasant to eat but easily avoided. Mincing will cut across the fibers but provide enough surface area for browning if desired.^[8]

Ginger is used extensively as an aromatic or spice in Asian cuisines.^[2][5] The juice from old ginger roots is extremely hot and is often used as a spice in Chinese cooking to cover up other strong odors and flavors such as in seafood and mutton. The roots or peels may be brewed into a hot, spicy infusion,^[9] as in Kashmir, or khing sot in Thailand.^[6] Young ginger roots are often pickled as a snack or just cooked as an ingredient in many dishes^[5][6]—this pickled ginger is often served with sushi.^[2] In some cuisines, the shoots, fruits, and flowers are also eaten.^[6] Ginger is also part of mainstream western cuisine in beverages like ginger beer and ginger ale,^[5][6] and desserts such as gingerbread and ginger snaps.^[5] Fresh ginger may also be candied in syrup and eaten as-is or in other dishes.^[1][3][10]

Dried and powdered ginger is commonly used to add spiciness to gingerbread and other baked goods.^[2][3][4] It pairs well with many fruit desserts.^[2]

Fresh and dried ginger cannot be readily substituted for each other due to the characteristic differences described above.^[2][4][7]

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Labensky, Sarah; Martel, Priscilla; Damme, Eddy Van (2015-01-06). On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Updated Edition. Pearson Education. ISBN 978-0-13-388675-7.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Friberg, Bo (2016-09-13). The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-46629-2.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Rinsky, Glenn; Rinsky, Laura Halpin (2008-02-28). The Pastry Chef's Companion: A Comprehensive Resource Guide for the Baking and Pastry Professional. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-00955-0.
4. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Farrimond, Dr Stuart (2018-11-06). The Science of Spice: Understand Flavor Connections and Revolutionize Your Cooking. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-1-4654-7557-2.
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Van Wyk, Ben-Erik (2014-09-26). Culinary Herbs and Spices of the World. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-09183-9.
6. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Davidson, Alan (2014-01-01). Jaine, Tom (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.
7. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Kipfer, Barbara Ann (2012-04-11). The Culinarian: A Kitchen Desk Reference. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-544-18603-3.
8. ↑ ^{a b c d} El-Waylly, Sohla (2023-11-02). Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook. Random House. ISBN 978-1-5299-1408-5.
9. ↑ Thaler, Maximus; Safferstein, Dayna (2014-09). A Curious Harvest: The Practical Art of Cooking Everything. Quarry Books. ISBN 978-1-59253-928-4. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
10. ↑ Goldstein, Darra (2015-01-01). The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199313396.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-931339-6.