Fresh ginger is one of the most versatile ingredients in Asian cuisine — warm, spicy and aromatic, usable from amuse-bouche to dessert, from marinade to cocktail.
Fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a rhizome with a papery yellow-brown skin and yellow-cream flesh. The flavour is sharp, warm and slightly sweet with citrusy notes.
The pungency of ginger comes from gingerols — compounds that partially convert to milder shogaols upon heating.
year-roundChina/Thailandwarm-spicymarinaderaw and cookedversatileGinger is cultivated in China, Thailand, India and Peru. Due to the broad growing area fresh ginger is available year-round.
Quality can be identified by a tight, shiny skin without wrinkles or soft spots. Young shoots (pink tips) are a sign of freshness.
Ginger is of consistent quality year-round — there is no pronounced seasonal effect.
Fresh ginger works fundamentally differently raw versus cooked. Raw: intense, sharp, immediate heat. Cooked: quieter and sweeter. Caramelised: deep and complex.
Pairs excellently with soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, lime and chilli. In Chinese cuisine ginger is indispensable in steamed fish, wonton soup, mapo tofu and red-braised dishes.
Store fresh ginger at room temperature for up to 1 week or refrigerated in an airtight bag for up to 4 weeks.
Fresh ginger freezes excellently — as a whole piece, directly in the freezer. Frozen ginger can be grated immediately without thawing.
Do not peel ginger with a knife but with the edge of a spoon.
Grating frozen ginger releases more aroma than grating chilled fresh ginger: freezing breaks the cell walls, releasing more gingerol-rich juice. Always keep a knob in the freezer.
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