Ginger Root

Like its cousin turmeric, ginger is a member of the Zingiberaceae family. It’s most at home in tropical climates and is grown in the Southern hemispheres. Ginger originated in tropical Asia and is now widely grown in the Caribbean and East Africa.

Ginger is an all-around all-star in everything from Asian dishes to herbal teas. It adds a sweet and slightly spicy note to noodle dishes, soups, and even baking recipes. Infuse it in tea for an extra soothing sip.

Ginger Root is a great spice to keep on hand in your kitchen, because it can be used in both sweet as well as savory dishes with excellent results.

Stir fries offer an excellent way to incorporate Ginger Root into your recipes. Your favorite thinly sliced meat gets cooked first in hot oil, and then sliced vegetables, with the thicker or tougher ones cooked longer and the more delicate ones cooked shorter. At the vegetable cooking stage, you can add Ginger to flavor the dish, or incorporate it into any sauce used to dress the dish.

Barbecue sauces benefit from the addition of a little bit of ginger. Other sauces, such as sugar syrups, can be used for poaching fruit such as pears, and Ginger makes a lovely addition to complement the fruit flavors. Mayonnaise can be seasoned with a pinch of ginger, making it a wonderful and flavorful condiment to use with burgers.