Zingiberaceae (ginger family)
refreshing, lemon-like.
pungent, warm.The pungency of ginger is caused by a non-volatile resin containing the same type of hydroxyaryl compounds that are also found in other spices of the ginger family: Zingerone, gingeroles and shoagoles. The pungent gingeroles degrade to the milder shoagoles during storage; high gingerole content and good pungency thus indicate freshness and quality. essential oil (1 to 3% of the fresh rhizome) contains mostly sesquiterpenes, e.g., (-)-zingiberene (up to 70%), (+)-ar-curcumene β-sesquiphellandrene, bisabolene and farnesene. Monoterpenoids occur in traces (β-phelladrene, cineol, citral).
: South China. Cultivated: tropical and sub-tropical global areas.
Jamaica, Brazil, Australia
fleshy rhizomes. Either fresh (staghorn-like) or dried (powder).
: German Ingwer, English ginger, French gingembre, Italian zenzero and practically all other names of ginger in European languages can, at first, be traced back to Latin zingiber.
World-wide, ginger is among the most important and valued spices, as the many synonyms indicate. Today, the plant grows in tropic regions all over the world and plays part in the local cuisines. In Europe, however, it is not common, although it had been an important spice in Roman times. Fresh ginger (also called green ginger) is now easily available in Western countries. Many people like raw ginger, and this is the form most popular in South East Asia: Fresh ginger is grated or finely chopped, optionally soaked in water for several hours, and then added to the dish not long before serving. This kind of usage will result in a fresh, spicy and pungent taste. If fresh ginger is cooked, it will increase in pungency but decrease in freshness. Thais add grated ginger together with many other ingredients (in the the form of curry pastes) to their creamy coconut milk curries. Indonesians frequently use spice pastes based on fresh chiles and ginger to rub meat before grilling or baking (see lemon grass for a general discussion and lesser galangale for an example). Ginger tea, prepared by cooking slices of fresh ginger for a few minutes, is a spicy and healthy drink enjoyed in hot tropic climates (Indonesia), but also in the chill Himalayas (Sikkim). Totally different is the flavour of fried ginger (preferred in India and Sri Lanka): If chopped ginger is fried (typically, together with garlic or onion), the hot and spicy taste gives way to a mild, rich flavour. Especially Northern Indian recipes make much use of this technique as the basis for delicious sauces to vegetable or meat dishes.
In Chinese cookery, fresh ginger is both used boiled and fried. Food that needs a long simmering time is often flavoured with slices of ginger, because the slices release their flavour quite slowly (see orange for an example and see also cassia on Chinese master sauces). On the other hand, stir-fries (food rapidly cooked in very hot oil, with constant stirring).
Ginger ale is a soft drink that enjoys considerable popularity in the USA. Like root beer (see sassafras), it is not a fermented beer, but simply sugar, plant extract and carbonated water. However, during the last centuries of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, ginger has also been used to flavour true beer, i.e., the alcoholic beverage obtained by fermenting malt; see also gale.
quite different in taste to fresh ginger. Optional component of curry powders. Genrally used when fresh ginger is traditionally unavailable. The taste is more aromatic than pungent.
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