Zingiber officinale

Dried ginger is used much more often in Middle Eastern and European dishes than fresh ginger. The reason lies in the fact that the ginger dried up during the journey along the caravan routes and arrived in these areas as such.

The Assyrians and Babylonians used ginger in their cuisine, and it was also used by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.

There was such a craze for ginger that it was already by the 9th century used as a table spice. Around the 16th century, the Spanish and Portuguese began planting it in their newly conquered tropical territories.

FLAVOR

Powdered ginger is less aromatic than fresh ginger, but when crushed in a mortar or ground into powder, it releases a warm peppery aroma with mild lemon notes.

The taste is hot, spicy and penetrating.

USED IS the dried root.

PURCHASE AND STORAGE

Dry ginger can be bought whole in pieces, slices or powder.

When shopping, quality is important. Those of the best quality have a spicy and lemony taste, while those of poor quality are sharply spicy, with a fibrous structure.

The dry root is difficult to grind into powder, it can be grated using a grater, however it is easier if you buy it already ground.

In a closed container, ginger will retain its properties for over two years.

USE IN COOKING

Whole pieces of dried ginger are often used in pickling.

Dry ginger does not have the same taste as fresh.

In Asia, dry ginger is used in many spicy spice blends. In the West it was one of the basic spices for making other spice blends, and today it is used in quatre epices and pickling spices.

It is excellent with carrots, pumpkin and sweet potatoes. In Arab countries, in combination with other spices, it is used in tagines, couscous and slow-cooking meat dishes with fruit.

It is popular when making cakes and biscuits, and in industry it is widely used in the production of ginger beer and the popular ginger ale.

Fruit and ginger go well together, especially bananas, pears, pineapples and oranges.

IT IS ESSENTIAL for berbere, curry and masala blends, five-spice powder, pickling spices, quatre epices, ras el hanout.

TYPES OF DRIED GINGER

The quality and taste of ginger vary depending on its origin.

In the industry, different grades refer to how the ginger was prepared before drying. Peeled Jamaican ginger has long been considered the best quality because of its delicate aroma, pale color and fine-textured powder. It is expensive and less in stock.

India is the main exporter of dried ginger, and the best quality ginger is called Cochin, which is light brown, partially peeled, and has a spicy lemon flavor and smell.

Chinese dried ginger is more lemony and less spicy than Cochin.

African varieties, primarily those from Sierra Leone and Nigeria are often unpeeled, usually caustic peppery with notes of camphor.

Australian ginger has distinct lemon notes.