Ground Ginger

Photo: flickr user madmolecule

About

Ground Ginger is the dried and powdered root of the ginger plant, it has a sharp taste and is a common ingredient in both Chinese and Indian cooking. In the United States it is primarily used in sweeter preparations, such as cookies and cakes. The word ginger comes from Latin and French and means 'body of a horn'.

Information

Other names: Powdered Ginger

Physical Description

Ginger is a tuber that is consumed whole as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale. It lends its name to its genus and family (Zingiberaceae). Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal. Fresh ginger is rough in appearance, and light to dark brown and looks somewhat like thick tree or plant roots, hence it's name.

Colors: Light Brown/Dark Brown

Tasting Notes

Flavors: Bitter, Spicy-sweet depending on preparation,

Mouthfeel: Hot, Fibrous, Sweet-spicy

Food complements: Brown sugar, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Nuts, Honey

Beverage complements: Tea, Sherry

Substitutes: All season, Old bay seasoning. allspice, Nutmeg, Cinnamon

Selecting and Buying

Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december

Choosing: Most selections of ground ginger found in grocery stores are mostly the same. Different varieties may be found at specialty spice stores.

Buying: You can purchase at your local Grocery Store.

Procuring: India, with over 30% of the global share, now leads in global production of ginger, replacing China, which has slipped to the second position (~20.5%), followed by Indonesia (~12.7%), Nepal (~11.5%) and Nigeria (~10%).

Preparation and Use

For ground ginger, no special cooking tools are needed. Ground ginger can be used to make tea, coffee, hard candy, or added to fruit, meat or vegetable dishes such as the popular Indian dish - Curry.

Cleaning: No cleaning required.

Conserving and Storing

Store in cool, dry place like any other spices.

Social/Political

In countries such as India and China, ginger is used for herbal and medical relief for ailments such as the common cold and headaches. In the U.S., ginger is used to prevent motion and morning sickness.

History: Ginger cultivation began in South Asia and has since spread to East Africa and the Caribbean. It is sometimes called root ginger to distinguish it from other things that share the name ginger.