Ginger

Zingiber officinale

spice · root

A rhizome with pinkish-orange flesh, sweet and aromatic in flavour, a major spice of Indian cooking and of Western desserts such as gingerbread. Its gingerols, long taken against nausea, turn into shogaols when it is dried.

Origin

Southeast Asia

Season (United States)

all year round · grows in your region

Preparation

It is grated or sliced, raw or cooked in the dish. The skin is thin and edible — the back of a spoon scrapes it off without taking the layer just beneath, which is the most fragrant.

Molecules

Gingerols and shogaols

Did you know?

It should not be confused with Japanese ginger, whose flower buds are eaten just as they come out of the ground.