How to use fresh and ground ginger in food?

Ginger is the most popular spice all over the world. However, not all housewives know how to use ginger root and why it is eaten in general. First of all, the spice is used to give dishes a pleasant spiciness and freshness. Its taste contains notes of citrus and ground sage leaves. It is burning, but not heavy. The smell of the spice is also not sharp, but fresh and light.

Ginger is called one of the most versatile spices. It goes well not only with meat and seafood, but also with desserts, pastries, and drinks. The root of the plant has long been used in medicine and cosmetology. It tones, disinfects, increases appetite, reduces stress, weight, and helps cope with a number of diseases.

In what form is it best to consume ginger?

Dried and fresh ginger have many differences. The ground spice is more pungent, and the root is fresh and citrusy. They have different culinary purposes, so it is impossible to say for sure in what form the seasoning is best to use. In dishes, you need to adhere to the recipe, and, if possible, do not replace one type of seasoning with another.

For healing, fresh root is often used. It contains more essential oils, phenolic compounds and other beneficial substances. It can be consumed by pregnant women and there are no strict dosage restrictions. Ground ginger is used in doses. In large quantities, it can cause uterine tone during pregnancy, cause heartburn, and simply negatively affect the taste of the dish.

How to use ginger in food? The root can be pickled and served with meat and fish. You can add it to tea or sugar it. The ground spice is mainly used in sauces and doughs. Choose your favorite recipe and prepare a fragrant, spicy dish with ginger.

Ginger is native to South Asia. It was brought to Europe in the Middle Ages, where it immediately gained popularity. However, not everyone had access to the root. Enterprising merchants told stories that it grew in the country of troglodytes, and they vigilantly protected it. That's why the price is so high.

How to use fresh root?

There are two varieties of fresh ginger:

• black (raw);
• white (processed).

Black root has a sharper and more tart taste. It is used mainly for preparing marinades, sauces, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. White ginger, especially young ginger (white when cut and not large), is distinguished by its juiciness and slight pungency. In addition to being used in drinks and marinades, it is added to salads, candied ginger, jam, gingerbread and muffins. In sweets and baked goods, it combines harmoniously with star anise, cloves, and cinnamon.

In what dishes is the root used?

• In Holland, sweet ginger is served with Gouda cheese.
• In Burma, the chopped root is pickled in oil and mixed with nuts and seeds.
• In South India, ginger candies are made with it - inzhi-murappa.
• All over the world, delicious and healthy tea is prepared with ginger and lemon.
• Coffee is brewed with the spice.
• In Japan, the pickled root is served with sushi.
• Thin strips of ginger can be fried and served as a side dish for meat and fish.
• Candied ginger is dipped into melted chocolate and you get very tasty sweets for coffee or tea.

Before use, the root is freed from the skin. Then it is grated, cut into slices, cubes, depending on the recipe.

Fresh ginger is added to dishes 5–20 minutes before cooking. The larger the cut, the longer it takes for the smell and taste to release.

Where do you add ground ginger?

For convenience, ground seasoning is made from the rhizomes. The root is crushed and dried. When dried, a significant part of the essential oils disappears. But at the same time the spice becomes more pungent.

Where to add ground ginger:

• In India, 4 types of flour are made with ground spices. They differ in the percentage of ginger they contain.
• Dried ginger is used to make sauces: chili, chutney, teriyaki and many others.
• Ginger powder is invariably present in Indian curry seasoning, which is added to soups, side dishes, and vegetables.
• The spice is added to the dough from which gingerbread cookies, muffins and other spicy pastries are baked.
• Marinades for fish and meat are made from ground ginger.

The spice is stored for an average of 4 months in a dry and dark place. Then its aroma and taste gradually weaken. Powder is added to liquid dishes at the end of cooking, and to dough at the beginning.

How much ginger to put in a dish depends on the recipe. In Indian cuisine it is used in very large quantities, in European cuisine - approximately 0.5–1 teaspoon per 1 kg (l) of the finished product.

How much ginger can you consume?

There are no strict restrictions on fresh ginger. You can eat it in as much quantity as you like, if you do not have gastrointestinal diseases. To improve your health, 1 tbsp is enough for an adult. spoons of seasoning 3 times a week, and for a child - 1 teaspoon. Children under 10 years of age are given ginger in limited quantities, in the form of tea, one cup 1-2 times a week. The supplement is contraindicated for children under 2 years of age. Dry powder can be consumed by an adult in the amount of 5 g per day.

Why do you drink drinks with ginger?

The spice gives drinks a pleasant aroma and a slight pungency. All kinds of teas with ginger are especially popular. They cool you down in hot weather and warm you up in cold weather. It is added to soft drinks. There is ginger ale and lemonade. In Australia, the USA and England they brew Ginger Beer with it, and in China they make Domaine de Canton liqueur.

Ginger drinks are drunk not only because they are tasty, but also because they are healthy. The aromatic additive gives the drink healing properties. What effects does it give:

• normalization of metabolism;
• weight loss;
• strong immunity;
• improved mood;
• increased lactation;
• quick recovery of strength after training or physical work.

In addition, ginger tea helps treat colds, reduces fever, sore throat and sore throat. It is also drunk to relieve nausea. Ginger drinks help women cope with toxicosis, and men improve their sexual performance. Serving a drink with ginger to heavy and hearty dishes, you can't go wrong. It improves digestion and helps to forget about problems such as indigestion.

Ginger is a well-known aphrodisiac that awakens libido. In Japan, during the Festival of Masculinity, it is always placed on the table.

What kind of ginger is added to tea?

Fresh ginger is used to make tea. A small slice is cut from the rhizome, the peel is removed and boiling water is poured over it along with the tea leaves. If desired, the root can be chopped into pieces and placed in a teapot. This way it will quickly impart its taste and aroma to the drink. On average, tea is brewed in 5-10 minutes. The recommended dose of ginger is 3-5 g per serving (about a teaspoon). Sometimes the fresh root is replaced with powder. In this case, take half the norm - 0.5 teaspoons per cup. This replacement does not greatly affect the taste and aroma. However, the drink becomes slightly cloudy.

Ginger tea often means a simple decoction of the root with honey. Tea leaves are not required in it. You can brew it with herbs, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, or with black, green, red tea. Whatever tea you choose, the drink will turn out equally tasty and aromatic.

Can it be added to coffee?

Many people have heard that in hot countries coffee is brewed with pepper, cinnamon, and cardamom. Spicy notes give the drink a special piquancy. But can you brew coffee with ginger? Yes. Small pieces of the root are thrown directly into the Turk, and when foam begins to form, the fire is turned off and the coffee is poured into mugs. Or you can grate the root and add 0.5 teaspoons of ginger juice to the drink.

It is better not to add grated root to drinks. Otherwise, hard fibers will float in the mug.

Why do you brew and drink ginger with lemon?

Ginger root and lemon go well together and complement each other's taste. That's why they are often put together in tea. Many people prepare a drink from just ginger and lemon. The spice invigorates and warms, starts the work of the stomach and intestines.Lemon saturates the body with vitamin C, tones and removes excess fluid from the body. Why do you drink this drink?

• for weight loss;
• for colds;
• with heaviness in the stomach;
• for cheerfulness.

To reduce weight, wraps are also made with ginger. And if you prepare a face mask with it, the skin will become elastic and wrinkles will be smoothed out.

What happens if you add ginger to soup?

The spice is often added to soup. It can be found in recipes for Asian, Mexican, and Indian first courses. When adding ginger, any soup only benefits - it becomes aromatic and warming. The seasoning can be used in the preparation of vegetable, meat, mushroom, and chicken soups. As a rule, ginger root, previously peeled and grated, is added to the broth. Approximate dosage – 20 g per 1 liter.

Dishes with ginger - recipes

You can prepare a huge number of dishes from ginger at home. We will present the most popular and easiest of them.

So, recipes for the best dishes with ginger:

• Ginger tea. Cut a 2 cm piece of ginger into slices and place in a mug. Add a pinch of mint, a slice of lemon, 0.5 teaspoon of green tea. Pour boiling water over it. In 5 minutes the ginger tea will be ready. You can sweeten it with honey (1–2 teaspoons).
• Pickled ginger. Peel and slice 100 g of young ginger. Boil 200 ml of water with 1 teaspoon of salt. Place the slices in boiling water for 3 minutes. In a glass jar, dilute 1 tbsp with water. a spoonful of sugar and 1.5 tbsp. spoons 9% vinegar. Add 50 ml of hot water, stir. Place ginger in a jar and top with 2 tbsp. spoons of fresh beets, diced. Once cooled, place the jar in the refrigerator. On the 2-3rd day the dish can be eaten.
• Gingerbread. Heat 50 g butter, 60 g sugar, 125 g honey in a saucepan over low heat. When the mixture becomes homogeneous, add 0.5 teaspoons of ginger powder and cinnamon, 0.25 teaspoons of cardamom, cloves and salt, 1 teaspoon of cocoa. After cooling, beat in 1 egg. Add 250 g of flour with 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Knead the dough and leave for 3 hours under the film. Roll out a circle 1 cm thick and squeeze out the gingerbread with a mold (mug). Bake for 10–15 minutes at 180 degrees. If desired, delicious and aromatic gingerbread cookies can be decorated with icing (beaten egg whites with lemon juice and powder).
• Ginger oil. Peel and cut into thin slices 100 g of ginger. Fill it with 150 ml of neutral oil (olive, sunflower). Place the dishes in a water bath for 3 hours. The oil temperature should not exceed 70 degrees. Strain and pour into a glass bottle with a lid. Keep in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Ginger oil is used for salad dressing. You can add it to vegetables, soups, purees, prepare sauces, and use it as a mask for hair growth.
• Ginger ice cream. Take 300 g of cream ice cream and 30 g of ginger root. Leave the ice cream at room temperature. When it melts to the consistency of sour cream, grate the root and squeeze the juice through cheesecloth into the ice cream. Stir, pour into molds and place in the freezer. Before serving, decorate the ginger ice cream with chocolate chips, nuts and mint sprigs.
• Soup with ginger. Ingredients: 1 liter of water, 2 onions, 150 g leeks, 300 g potatoes, 2 bunches of spinach leaves, 150 g carrots, 30 g ginger root, black pepper and salt to taste. Fry the onion until golden brown. Bring carrots and potatoes, cut into small cubes, to boil.After 30 minutes, add finely chopped ginger, chopped spinach and leek to the broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer the soup for 5 minutes. Finally add salt and pepper and turn off the heat. When serving, throw a spoonful of golden onion into the plate.

Ginger is an aromatic and healthy spice. In its properties it is close to garlic, but does not have such a pronounced taste and smell. Fresh root tones, relieves spasms, improves digestion, protects against parasites and infections, stimulates blood circulation and restores strength. Dishes with it are distinguished by their spicy spiciness. You can use the seasoning for cooking fish, meat, baked goods, jellies, compotes, soups... The list of dishes is limited only by taste preferences. It is worth admitting that many people like ginger. You won't regret experimenting with it.