Aromatic
Ginger
Also called fresh ginger, ginger root
A knobbly rhizome, not a root, with heat that warms the throat rather than burning like chilli. Ground dried ginger is a woodier spice — fine for biscuits, wrong in phở.
Origin
Native to maritime Southeast Asia and traded for thousands of years into China, India and the Mediterranean.
Flavour
Citrus, camphor, pine and heat. The juice is brighter than the fibres. Old, shrivelled ginger still has heat but the perfume has gone.
How to use it
Smash thick coins for broths (phở, ramen, samgyetang) so they perfume without filling the bowl with threads. Grate for marinades and butter chicken, then squeeze the pulp if you want juice without strings. Julienne for a stir-fry that should stay visible. In mapo tofu, ginger and garlic hit hot oil after the chilli paste, and they should sizzle, not steam. If the heat is too much, you grated the fibrous old end — balance with fat and a little sugar, not with more soy.
Storage
Fridge, unpeeled, in a paper bag. Freeze the knob and grate from frozen when you only need a teaspoon.
Recipes using it
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