Ginger is a great flavouring and appears in a wide range of cuisines. Its distinctive taste works as an addition in savoury dishes such as stir fries and curries as well as cakes and sweets.

Fresh ginger is a root that is all gnarled and knobbly and covered in a thin skin.

At the supermarket, avoid ginger that looks wrinkled, discolored, or moldy. (Some stores leave ginger in the bins until it's completely shrivelled. Don't buy it like this.)

Look for ginger with a thin skin that's smooth, unblemished, and almost translucent.

If you break off a knob, the texture should be firm, crisp, and not overly fibrous (making it easier to slice). It should have a fresh, spicy fragrance.

Keep in mind that, like many spices, ginger's flavor fades as it cooks. So for more gingery oomph, add some or all of the ginger at the end of cooking. Ginger can have a very sharp peppery flavor. Biting down on a big chunk could bring tears to your eyes!

To remove the skin from fresh mature ginger, peel with a paring knife.

Or it can be peeled with a vegetable peeler

There are a variety of ways to cut ginger.

Grated Ginger

Sliced Ginger

Minced Ginger

Matchstick strips (julienne) ginger

Storing Ginger

Wrap any uncut ginger tightly in plastic wrap and it should keep about 3 weeks. You can also freeze ginger for up to 6 months.

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