Ginger - the spice for cookies - its story

The history of ginger, the most popular of the ‘hot’ spices, goes back a very long way. There is clear archaeological evidence that it was known over 3,000 years ago, originating in China. Certainly it was well known to the ancient Romans. Its origins are not clear as it is never found growing wild.

When the Roman Empire fell ginger nearly disappeared too. In the middle ages it was rare and fabulously expensive. It took Marco Polo on his travels to the Far East to revive its popularity again in Europe. As it had to be brought such long distances it was a very expensive spice; but its popularity was one of the main drivers to opening up the spice trade.

Ginger is a root, the gnarled and bumpy root of the ginger plant, (botanical name Zingiber officinale). It is a small (4” to 7” tall) grassy plant that can be grown through the year. Its name in some languages translates as ‘horn root’ because of its shape. It comes form the same spice family as Turmeric and cardamom and it originated in Asia. Nowadays it grows well in the West Indies, Jamaica in particular, and can be found in India, Africa and China as well as many other places in the world.

Flavors

Ginger is a pungent spice with a distinctive aroma. It is slightly sweet and is peppery on the tongue.

It is versatile and can be obtained in several different forms:-

Fresh – from the store as the root (actually the rhizome). It will keep quite a while, eventually drying out and the flavor disappearing. Most ginger found this way is mature ginger and should be peeled before using the flesh. It keeps best in the salad drawer of the fridge.

Dried – where the root has been carefully dried to preserve the flavor. However it is still less strong than the root and needs soaking before use.

Powdered or ground – from your specialist store in a spice pot. It is easy to use in baking in this form and will keep for quite a while once opened so long as the spice pot is re-sealed and the ginger is not left exposed. It tastes different from the fresh and is very suitable for the type of baking we are doing.

Candied (crystallized) – as a delicious sweet, or addition to deserts, with that distinctive ‘punch’. It has been cooked in sugar syrup and coated with sugar.

Pickled/ Preserved – not suitable for baking.

Cooking hint

When ginger is used in cooking its flavor mellows as it is cooked. Different types have different strengths so find a brand you like and stick with it to keep your cooking consistent.

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