Ginger is a useful ingredient not only for its bright, spicy, and citrusy flavor, but also for its nutritional value.
For thousands of years, humans have used ginger as a cooking ingredient as well as medicinal curative. Ginger has most notably been used as medicine for healing stomach and digestive issues, but there are many medicinal uses for ginger. Some people use ginger to treat joint and muscle pain, symptoms of flu, cold, stomach pain, skin burns, and menstrual cramps. Ginger contains over 400 chemical compounds which are responsible for its flavor and smell. These chemicals not only taste good, but may be good for us.
Ginger contains gingerol, a potent anti-inflammatory antioxidant related to capsaicin. If buying ginger for its medicinal qualities, it’s advisable to purchase fresh roots instead of the powdered form. This is essentially because there is more gingerol in the fresh root than in the dried powder.
There are different ways to enjoy ginger, ranging from integrating it into your meals to incorporating it into tea. Ginger is a versatile ingredient that can be used in both savory and sweet applications. From cakes to soups to cookies to stews to stir-fries, ginger can be used in many ways. One of the many attributes of ginger is its long shelf life. Unpeeled ginger can last up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Ginger also freezes well in case you don’t use it immediately.
Feature Image: Joseph Mucira from Pixabay
