Ground Ginger vs. Fresh: What’s the Difference?

Although often referred to as ginger root, ginger actually comes from the rhizome (underground stem) of Zingiber officinale, a tropical flowering plant from the same family as cardamom and turmeric. The sharp bite of raw fresh ginger comes from gingerol, an aromatic compound that transforms into the sweeter zingerone when heated or dried, making ginger an especially versatile ingredient.

You can incorporate ginger into recipes worldwide, particularly East and South Asian cuisines and Caribbean fare. As well as being a welcome addition to a stir fry or stew, it also has health benefits as an anti-inflammatory and an agent that has reportedly led to lower blood pressure.

Ground ginger is simply dried ginger pulverized to a fine powder, but that process gives it a different flavor and different properties.

• Flavor: Fresh ginger is sweeter, more pungent, and has an overall more complex flavor than ground ginger.
• Chemical composition: Ground ginger contains fewer essential oils and less gingerol than fresh ginger but more shogaol, which is spicy and pungent.
• Shelf life: Ground ginger is more shelf stable than fresh ginger (though it will lose its potency over time) and holds up to high heat better than fresh ginger.
• Uses: Ground ginger is often used in baking to lend a spicy, warm flavor to favorites like pumpkin pie and, of course, gingerbread. Ground ginger is often found in spice blends with other similar, complementary spices as well as in savory dishes like curries and marinades. You can use fresh, raw ginger in many forms—from keeping it in a whole, unpeeled knob to add flavor to soups and liquids to pickling it to mincing it for a stir-fry. You can also chop or grate it to use in ginger tea.

Due to its spicy, peppery warmth, ground ginger exists in the same flavor family as a number of other ground spices you may have on hand in your kitchen. The best substitutes for ground ginger are spices that share at least some of its qualities, like cinnamon, grated or ground nutmeg, mace, or allspice. Otherwise, consider a spice blend containing a few of those ingredients combined, or turn to one of ginger’s relatives, like turmeric or cardamom.

Whichever ginger substitute you settle on, start with a smaller amount than your recipe calls for and gradually add more until you achieve the desired flavor.

Substituting for fresh ginger root is a more difficult task since you have to contend with its more complex flavor as well as its distinctive, fibrous texture. As a result, your best bet when substituting for fresh ginger is simply to reach for the ground ginger.

Dried ginger has a more intense flavor than fresh ginger. The exact ratio of how much ginger powder to use in place of fresh ginger depends on both your preference for how much of its strong, peppery flavor you want in your dish as well as the potency, age, and quality of the spice itself.

To be safe, start with one eighth of a teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh ginger, and gradually work up to as much as a quarter of a teaspoon per tablespoon of fresh ginger. The most important thing is to taste as you go so you don’t overwhelm the flavor of your dish.

Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Niki Nakayama, Gabriela Cámara, Chef Thomas Keller, Yotam Ottolenghi, Dominique Ansel, Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters, and more.