Gingerroot

This knobby plant root has thin, tan skin and flesh with a sweet but peppery flavor. Younger fresh gingerroot, or spring ginger, has a milder flavor than mature; its pale skin is thin and tender enough to be eaten. Mature gingerroot’s darker, tougher skin should be peeled. The fresh roots should be smooth and firm; if the skin is wrinkled the flesh will be dry. Many Asian, Indian and Caribbean dishes call for chopped, thinly sliced, slivered or grated ginger. Although ginger can be grated on any sharp handheld grater, you may want to purchase a special ceramic ginger grater, which catches the root’s fibrous strings. Fresh ginger will keep in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped, for 3 weeks and in the freezer for 6 months. To use frozen ginger, slice off the amount called for in the recipe and return the rest to the freezer. For convenience some people store peeled chunks of fresh gingerroot in a covered jar of dry sherry; both sherry and ginger will absorb some of the other’s flavor. Originally grown in Asia, most of the gingerroot in American markets now comes from Jamaica. Dried ground ginger may be substituted for fresh but will not provide the same bright, intense flavor as fresh. It is an essential ingredient, though, in baked goods like gingerbread, spice cookies, and spice mixes like curry powder. Pieces of fresh gingerroot crystallized or candied in sugar syrup and dredged with coarse sugar can be used in cookies, breads, cakes and as a garnish. Pickled ginger, paper-thin slices of fresh gingerroot that have been preserved in rice vinegar, is an essential condiment for sushi.