Ginger is a rhizome of the ginger plant. It is cultivated throughout the world for local culinary needs. But the countries which have excess, process it in dried form and export.
Since ancient times ginger has been an essential ingredient in food, medicines or perfumes in one form or another in account of its aroma, pungency, flavor, preservative or medicinal properties.
It loses much of its fire when dried, but it become deeper, rounder and more comforting in its warmth.
It is available in a number of forms: green (fresh), powdered, candied in syrup and pickled or preserved.
Dried ginger is used directly as a spice in whole, split, or ground form and is used extensively in flavoring or processed foods.
It is the fresh rhizome that is commonly used for culinary. Among the processed food, it specially finds used in soft drinks and baked products, besides used in meat, sea food and vegetable curries.
The longer ginger cooks, the mellower it becomes. Fine shreds of young ginger can be sprinkled over fish, to be briefly steamed or added to a quick cooking stir fry.
Jerk seasoning (Caribbean) and some sambals (Indonesia) use ginger. Typically, Chinese dipping sauces used ginger and scallions.
In Morocco, ginger is used in curry-like tagines, as well as in chermoula, a vinaigrette-like marinade that usually contains cumin and other herbs and spices.
Fresh ginger contains 13-15% total solids, 0.6-1.4% proteins, 8.5% carbohydrates and aromatic co0mpounds such as zingiberene, curcumene and sesquiterpene.
The uses of ginger in culinary
