Wizard Recipes

Ginger is a tropical Asian herb grown for its pungent and spicy aromatic roots. Gingerroot is peppery and slightly sweet. Its light-brown skin covers a firm flesh that ranges from greenish yellow to ivory.

Varieties

Several hundred varieties of ginger exist. In addition, fresh gingerroot may be young or mature. Spring ginger, as young ginger is sometimes called, has a pale, thin skin that does not require peeling. Young ginger is delicate and milder than mature ginger.

Origin & Botanical Facts

Ginger is believed to be native to South China or India, where it has been cultivated since ancient times. The earliest recorded mention of ginger appears in Chinese writings.

According to the Pen Tsao Ching (Classics of Herbs), written by Shen Nung around 3000 B.C., ginger “eliminates body odor and puts a person in touch with the spiritual realm.” In ancient India, ginger was believed to cleanse the body spiritually.

Ginger also was used to preserve food and treat digestive problems. As in India, the ancient Greeks used ginger for digestive problems by eating ginger wrapped in bread after large meals. Eventually, ginger was added to the bread dough, and the product became known as gingerbread.

The Romans also used ginger as a digestive aid. Arab traders introduced ginger to the Mediterranean area, and in the 16th century, Francisco de Mendoza of Spain brought it to the West Indies.

In England and Colonial America, ginger was made into ginger beer, a popular home remedy for diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting and a precursor to today’s ginger ale.

Ginger thrives in the tropics and in warmer regions of the temperate zone. Currently, the herb is grown in several regions of West Africa and the West Indies, and in India and China. The plant reaches maturity in the late summer when the foliage begins to turn yellow.

However, the root can be harvested at any stage simply by digging it up. The finest quality ginger comes from Jamaica, where production is most abundant. In the United States, ginger is grown in Florida, Hawaii, and along the east coast of Texas.

Uses

Ginger is a popular ingredient in Asian cooking, for which it has been used for centuries in both its fresh and dried forms. Fresh ginger can be shredded, grated, finely minced, or sliced and used in curries and stir-fried dishes.

When buying fresh ginger, choose roots that have a firm, smooth skin with a fresh, spicy smell. Fresh unpeeled ginger can be tightly wrapped in a paper towel and plastic wrap or placed in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerated up to 2 weeks or frozen for 6 months.

Powdered, dried ginger, which has a more spicy, intense flavor, is used for making gingerbread, gingersnaps, and other spice cookies.

Ginger also is available in crystallized or candied form, preserved, and pickled. Dried powdered ginger should not be substituted for fresh or crystallized ginger in recipes, because it will not provide the same flavor.

Nutrient composition

Ginger is not a significant source of nutrients

Ginger.picture

Ginger is one of those indispensable herbs that we often take for granted. I can remember having a jar of ground ginger in my cupboard for so long that it lost it’s flavor! That was before I realized how many things it could be used for.
In the 13th Century the English Royalty loved it so much it became worth it’s weight in gold. We are fortunate that we can buy ginger fresh or ground at our grocery stores without having to sell our earthly possessions.
You can grow fresh ginger by planting a ginger root in a 12 inch pot, just below the surface of the dirt. Place the pot in a warm sunny spot, making sure it has good drainage. Water sparingly until the small green shoots appear, and thenwater well. Gin ger loves being misted and fertilized regularly. You will have to bring it inside during the winter, where it will become dormant and die down. After the plant is well established, in about a year, dig up the roots from the newer sprouts to use; these will be more flavorful. Roots will keep in the refrigerator for up to three weeks, and you can freeze them if they are wrapped well in plastic.
You can use fresh ginger in recipes that call for dried, but use about half the amount called for.
You can peel ginger root and chop it into very thin pieces for adding to any stir fry recipe. Try adding thin slivers to your poached fruit recipes or compotes. Grate the ginger root and add to vegetable recipes as you boil or steam
them. Of course, we all know that ground ginger is invaluable in holiday recipes!

Caraway Seed
These aromatic seeds come from an herb in the parsley family. They have a nutty, delicate anise flavor and are
widely used in German, Austrian and Hungarian cuisine. Caraway seeds flavor many foods including cheese,
breads, cakes, stews, meats, vegetables and the liqueur Kummel. They should be stored airtight in a cool, dark
place for no more than 6 months.

Cardamom
A member of the ginger family, this aromatic spice is native to India and grows in many other tropical areas including Asia, South America and the Pacific Islands. Cardamom seeds are encapsulated in small pods about the size of a cranberry. Each pod contains 17 to 20 tiny seeds. Cardamom has a pungent aroma and a warm, spicy?sweet flavor. It’s widely used in Scandinavian and East Indian cooking. Cardamom can be purchased either in the pod or ground. The latter, though more convenient, is not as full?flavored because cardamom seeds begin to lose their essential oils as soon as they’re ground. The seeds may be removed from the pods and ground, or the entire pod may be ground. A mortar and pestle make quick work of the grinding. If using cardamom to flavor dishes such as stews and curries, lightly crush the shell of the pod and add the pod and seeds to the mixture. The shell will disintegrate while the
dish cooks. Be frugal when using cardamom — a little goes a long way.

Cinnamon
Once used in love potions and to perfume wealthy Romans, this age?old spice comes in two varieties — Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Ceylon cinnamon) and Cinnamomum cassia (cassia). Cinnamon is the inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree. The bark is harvested during the rainy season when it’s more pliable. When dried, it curls into long quills, which are either cut into lengths and sold as cinnamon sticks, or ground into powder. Ceylon(or tree) cinnamon is  buff?colored and mildly sweet in flavor; cassia cinnamon is a dark, reddish brown color and has a more pungent, slightly bittersweet flavor. Cassia cinnamon is used and sold simply as “cinnamon” in many countries (including the United States). Cinnamon is widely used in sweet dishes, but also makes an intriguing addition to savory dishes such
as stews and curries. Oil of cinnamon comes from the pods of the cinnamon tree and is used as a flavoring, as well as a medicinal.

Clove
Considered one of the world’s most important spices, cloves are the dried, unopened flower bud of the tropical evergreen clove tree. Reddish brown and nail?shaped, their name comes from clavus , the Latin word for nail.
Cloves are sold whole or ground and can be used to flavor a multitude of dishes ranging from sweet to savory.

Coriander
Native to the Mediterranean and the Orient, coriander is related to the parsley family. It’s known for both its seeds (actually the dried, ripe fruit of the plant) and for its dark green, lacy leaves. The flavors of the seeds and leaves bear
absolutely no resemblance to each other. Mention of coriander seeds was found in early Sanskrit writings and the seeds themselves have been discovered in Egyptian tombs dating to 960 b.c. The tiny (1/8?inch), yellow?tan seeds are lightly ridged. They are mildly fragrant and have an aromatic flavor akin to a combination of lemon, sage and caraway. Whole coriander seeds are used in pickling and for special drinks, such as mulled wine. Ground seed is used in  many baked good (particularly Scandinavian), curry blends, soups, etc. Both forms are commonly available in supermarkets. Coriander leaves are also commonly known as cilantro and Chinese parsley. Fresh coriander leaves have an extremely pungent (some say fetid) odor and flavor that lends itself well to highly seasoned food. Though it’s purported to be the world’s most widely used herb, many Americans and Europeans find that fresh coriander is definitely an acquired taste. Choose leaves with an even green color and no sign of wilting. Store a bunch of coriander, stems down, in a glass of water with a plastic bag over the leaves. Refrigerate in this manner for up to a week, changing the water every 2 days. Coriander leaves are used widely in the cuisines of India, Mexico, the Orient and the  Caribbean.

Cumin
Also called comino , this ancient spice dates back to the Old Testament. Shaped like a caraway seed, cumin is the
dried fruit of a plant in the parsley family. Its aromatic, nutty?flavored seeds come in three colors: amber (the
most widely available), white and black (both found in Asian markets). White cumin seed is interchangeable
with amber, but the black seed has a more complex, peppery flavor. Cumin is available in seed and ground forms. As with all seeds, herbs and spices, it should be stored in a cool, dark place for no more than 6 months. Cumin is particularly popular in Middle Eastern, Asian and Mediterranean cooking. Among other things, it’s used to make curries, chili powders and Kummel Liqueur.

Curry Powder

Widely used in Indian cooking, authentic Indian curry powder is freshly ground each day and can vary dramatically depending on the region and the cook. Curry powder is actually a pulverized blend of up to 20 spices, herbs and seeds. Among those most commonly used are cardamom, chiles, cinnamon, cloves coriander, cumin, fennel seed, fenugreek, mace, nutmeg, red and black pepper, poppy and sesame seeds, saffron, tamarind and turmeric (the latter is what gives curried dishes their characteristic yellow color). Commercial curry powder (which bears little resemblance to the freshly ground blends of southern India) comes in two basic styles — standard, and the hotter of the two, “Madras.” Since curry powder quickly loses its pungency, it should be stored, airtight, no longer than 2 months.