Everybody Loves a Ginger
Much like that sassy redhead friend of yours, fresh ginger is complex. The twisted tan-skinned root, branching off here and there, with pale yellow flesh inside, has an intense, spicy flavor that adds zing to stir-fries, a peppery brightness to beverages and a zest to salad dressings. My mouth just watered writing that sentence.
And now imagine that truly unique, warm flavor being just as good for your insides as it is on your palate. That’s the brilliance of ginger! Ginger boasts anti-inflammatory, improved digestive and immune-boosting qualities. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t give it a try. Except….
Where do you find it?
How much should you buy?
How do you prepare it?
What do you use it in?
Great questions! Let me start by saying there was a time I didn’t realize what ginger looked like, apart from the pink pickled stuff at the sushi restaurant. I think I had to look for it when a particular recipe called for it, which sent me searching around the Schnucks produce area. Depending on where you’re shopping, you may find packaged fresh ginger, with two or so small roots to a bag, or you may find it free in a basket, to pick and choose which size and quantity is right for you. It is oftentimes nestled next to the garlic, shallots and onions. Choose ginger root that has a tight, shiny skin (like the one pictured above). Shriveled, dull skin indicates that the root is old so the insides will be dry and tough.
If you’re new to ginger, you may want to experiment with a little bit, which is why it's very convenient to be able to choose your own root. In fact, at times, when I’ve only needed a little bit for a meal I was making, I’ve broken off a piece off a bigger root. I didn’t want to waste any, and it kept the price down. However, with the pre-bagged type, you don’t have that choice, so you must commit. But commitment is easy when you have a few go-to uses for your ginger root (see recipe ideas below).
If you’re using ginger in a dish or dressing, for instance, you’ll need to peel it, which isn’t the easiest task. My preference is to use a small sharp paring knife to remove the skin, but there’s advice out there to scrape it off with a spoon (this method takes too long for my liking) or to pare your root down to flat planes, and then use a Y-shaped peeler to take the skin off. Experiment to see what works for you. Once peeled, you can either chop your root with a sharp knife, or grate it with a Microplane. If you’re using ginger root in a tea, no need to peel it, just thinly slice it, skin and all, for steeping, and then strain it out before serving.
Ahh. The fragrance of ginger—whether you’re using raw in a dressing, sauteeing for a soup or stir-fry or steeping in a tea—is such a treat. Check out the ideas below to add this superfood root into your life.
Add minced ginger to minced garlic as the enticing aromatic start to this simple Sesame Ginger Vegetable Stir-fry, care of Delish.com.
Or add minced or grated ginger to NomNomPaleo’s creamy Sesame Ginger Dressing for salads…or really anything else.
Slices of unpeeled ginger get steeped with mint and green tea bags to make one of my absolute favorites: Iced Green Tea with Ginger and Mint from RealSimple.com. And by skipping the chilling step, it can easily be the most wonderful hot tea.
Pick up some fresh ginger the next time you’re at the store and give one of the above a try or experiment with its delicious versatility on your own. It may just turn out to be your BFF.
Please share below how you use ginger root. Let’s create community by sharing!
Xoxo Julie