#SpiceSpotlight: Ginger
Whether it’s consumed fresh, dried and stored as a spice, or made into capsules and liquid extracts, ginger has been used for cooking and healing for thousands of years. Known as one of the world’s healthiest spices, ginger root is actually a rhizome, a modified subterranean plant stem of a flowering plant.
India is currently the largest producer of ginger, but it first appeared in southern parts of China. Europe was exposed to ginger in the 1st century when ancient Romans traded with it. Once Rome fell, Europe “forget” about ginger until Marco Polo brought it back again after his travels to the East.
Ginger has the ability to enrich sweet and savory food. It brings warmth to sweets such as gingerbread and pumpkin pie, and cuts the fattiness of pork in grilled tenderloins and other pork cuts. When slow cooked, ginger can soften and tenderize meat through an enzyme called protease.
When buying ginger root, look for unblemished skin and a solid, but not entirely stiff feel. The larger the hand of ginger, the more developed and pungent the flavor. America typically receives “young ginger,” which has a milder flavor, from Jamaica in the late spring and early summertime. To peel ginger, try using the back of a spoon and then slicing it and putting it in a jar of purified water in the fridge.
Ginger can be found in AdapTable Meals Smokey Bourbon Beef Sirloin Steaks! Visit our Meal Ideas page to learn more about how you can use our products which include ginger to make your next easy, tasty meal!