Rhizomes - Natural Flavoring for Food!

Ginger is a tropical Asian herb known for its spicy aromatic roots. It has a long culinary and medicinal history throughout the world. The ancient Greeks, for example, used to eat ginger wrapped in bread to help treat digestive problems. Ginger ale is still used to help aid digestion and relieve diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

Gingerroot is characterized by it’s strong sweet, yet woodsy smell. It is tan in color with white to creamy-yellow flesh that can be coarse yet stringy.

How to buy and store

When selecting gingerroot, choose robust firm roots with a spicy fragrance and smooth skin. Gingerroot should not be cracked or withered. It can be stored tightly wrapped in a paper towel or plastic wrap (or put into a plastic bag) in the refrigerator for two to three weeks and can also be placed in a jar of sherry and refrigerated for three to six months.

How to prepare

To prepare ginger, peel skin from the root and then gently peel the flesh beneath (that closest to the root is the most flavorful). Gingerroot can be sliced or minced (minced gingerroot gives the most pungent flavor). 

The powdered, dried form of ginger has a more spicy, intense flavor and is often used in baking for such foods as gingerbread, gingersnaps, ginger cookies.

Ginger can be used raw or cooked; use sparingly at first to become acquainted with the pungent taste.

Galangal resembles ginger in both taste and appearance. It is predominantly found in Asian markets and sold fresh, frozen, dried, or powdered.

As well as being used in cooking, galangal is used in Asia and the Middle East in perfumes, snuffs, aphrodisiacs, and as flavors for condiments (including vinegar and beer), as well as in teas in Germany and wines in Russia. Like ginger, galangal has been used for medicinal purposes to treat nausea, flatulence, and dyspepsia.

Different galangal varieties vary in their hotness and flavor. Flavor ranges from flowery to ginger-like to peppery cinnamon.

How to buy and store

When ripe, galangal should be ivory white and firm with very little separation between skin and flesh. Never buy galangal that is wrinkled or shriveled. Store galangal refrigerated uncut and unwrapped for up to three weeks or peel the root and place it in a jar of sherry and store it refrigerated for several months. Galangal can be frozen if tightly wrapped in foil.

How to prepare

Galangal is frequently used in fish and shellfish recipes in combination with garlic, ginger, chili, and lemon. Galangal can be sliced and used to flavor soups and stews (remove before serving). It can be mixed with lemon grass, chilies, shallots and garlic into a paste that can be used to flavor rice dishes. Galangal can also be mixed into a curry paste for similar purposes. Only a pinch of dried and powdered versions are typically needed in cooking.

Turmeric has light brown skin, bright reddish-orange flesh and a bitter, pungent, almost woodsy flavor.

Turmeric was used in biblical times as a perfume but now it is most commonly used to flavor and color food. Ground turmeric is widely used in East Indian cooking, in curries, soups and stews.

How to buy and store

Fresh turmeric roots have a spicy fragrance and stubby fingers protruding from the sides of the root. Unpeeled turmeric can be refrigerated, tightly wrapped, for three weeks.

How to prepare

Turmeric is typically boiled or steamed and then dried and ground into powder; ground turmeric is easily found in the spice aisle of a supermarket. Use ground turmeric in fish or rice dishes. Be careful with fresh turmeric as it will stain your hands and clothing.

• Chop ginger finely and sauté with garlic as a flavor base for oriental stir-fries

• Add powdered turmeric to rice dishes for coloring and flavor

• Flavor soups and stews with a shake of ground turmeric