How to Use Fresh Ginger Root

The history of the usage of ginger dates back over a few thousand years ago and the root is native to Southeast Asia. For this reason, many Asian cuisine use fresh ginger root to impart a spicy flavor. Ginger root also has purported health benefits such as relieving stomach cramps, helping with nausea and improving the immune system. While ginger root can be found in powdered, crystallized or dried forms, fresh ginger root imparts a special taste that is refreshing and cannot be duplicated by the preserved kind.

Fresh ginger root is one of the most common spices you will find in the Asian kitchen and is best used grated finely, with the outer skin removed. Ginger is very potent, so a little goes a long way. In Japanese cuisine, grated ginger is used to make a meat dish less pungent – this is know as the “cleansing effect”. Meats such as venison and beef benefit from the cleansing effect of ginger. The Japanese also use pickled slice ginger to cleanse the palate in between courses, particularly during sushi and sashimi courses. You can use thinly sliced fresh ginger in a stir-fry to enhance the flavor of vegetables such as bok choy, broccoli and kale. Ginger imparts a warm, spicy zing to the dish. Studies have shown that ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and adding sliced ginger to your stir-fries can help in reducing symptoms of arthritis.

Ginger root is an excellent addition to salads as a dressing. Mix soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil and some grated ginger as a dressing for an Asian-inspired chicken salad. Recipes often call for equal parts of ground ginger and ground chili peppers in the preparation of curries, depending on the level of spiciness required. In some curries, particularly Indian curries, ginger is solely used to give the searing hot spiciness – these curries can often time be even spicier than curries using chili peppers alone!

Ginger root has long been used in both Oriental and Western medicine to help with stomach discomfort. Putting a few slices of fresh ginger into a glass of warm water and sipping the ginger-infused water slowly helps with nausea and dispels gas. In the same way, ginger can be used to remedy the common cold. For the Indians in particular, ginger is used to infuse tea in what is called ‘masala chai’, which is basically spiced tea containing cloves, cinnamon, tea leaves, milk, and of course, ginger root. Ginger lemonade is another great way to use fresh ginger root – combine freshly brewed tea with honey, lemon and a few slices of ginger to help quench your thirst on a hot day.

Another way to use ginger root is in making any kind of winter squash soup. Since ginger has warming properties, using a wee bit of ginger in your soup helps to complement the seasonal qualities of the soup and is perfect for a cool winter evening. Simply use grated nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger to make a spicy and creamy pumpkin soup.

Even Western cuisine has embraced the use of ginger. Baked sweet potatoes taste even better with a ginger root grated finely over the top while apple pies usually call for a touch of ginger to lend its warming properties. In Mediterranean cuisine, ginger is widely use to flavor fish-based recipes.

Ginger root is an indispensable spice that should be kept in your kitchen at all times. It lasts for up to six weeks in the refrigerator and can be used in almost any kind of dish. Ginger’s wonderful aroma and flavor combined with its numerous medicinal properties makes it an unbeatably versatile ingredient.