How to Cut Ginger: 5 Ways to Use Fresh Ginger

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. Many cuisines, such as those of Southeast Asia and India, use ginger to make savory and sweet dishes.

Ginger has a number of purported health benefits and has been used as a medicine for thousands of years in India, China, Greece, and the Middle East—especially to reduce nausea and motion sickness. It’s also known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Peeling ginger can take up a lot of prep time if you attempt to use a knife; however, an easy and effective way to peel ginger is to use the edge of a spoon instead. You’ll have plenty of control and the curve of the spoon can maneuver over and through the nooks, crannies, and knobby shapes of ginger root that most vegetable peelers have a hard time reaching. The blunt roundness of the spoon also greatly reduces the risk of harming yourself.

To peel ginger, simply scrape the spoon along the skin on your piece of ginger as if you were using a paring knife. Hold the ginger against a cutting board to hold it steady as you peel away the skin from nooks and crannies.

Cutting ginger is relatively simple once you know a few techniques.

1. 1. Gather your tools. Fresh ginger roots can be fibrous and tough. A sharp chef’s knife can make all the difference when chopping slices of ginger, so make sure your kitchen knife is sharpened. You will also need a clean cutting board. If you have a microplane or a cheese grater with small holes, skip the following steps and use one of these tools to grate ginger.
2. 2. Cut the ginger lengthwise. Take your peeled root and slice it lengthwise so you can steady the ginger on a cutting board. Then use your sharp knife to make thin, lengthwise slices at an angle. This is also known as a julienne cut and should give you a bunch of thin slices the size of matchsticks.
3. 3. Mince the ginger (optional). If you’re making a soup or stew, larger pieces of ginger may be preferable. For a salad dressing or stir-fry, cut the ginger into small pieces by turning the stacked slices to the side and chopping across the width. Keeping your fingers tucked away from the blade, chop the ginger pieces until adequately minced.

Now that you’ve learned how to chop ginger and are ready to make it at home, it’s time to try out some recipes.

1. 1. Candied ginger: Candied ginger is fresh ginger root preserved in sugar syrup. To make candied ginger, peel and slice fresh ginger, then par-boil and cook the pieces in sugar syrup. Candied ginger is stored and served in sugar syrup, whereas crystallized ginger is candied ginger coated in additional sugar.
2. 2. Ginger tea: Ginger tea is an herbal tea made with fresh ginger and boiling water. You can add fresh lemon juice, sweeteners, or cinnamon sticks to ginger tea, which has a long history throughout Asia as a medicinal beverage.
3. 3. Beni shoga (Japanese pickled ginger): Beni shoga is a type of tsukemono (Japanese pickle) made with ginger root. Beni shoga consists of young ginger that is cut into thin strips and pickled in umezu, a plum vinegar left over from making umeboshi (pickled plums).
4. 4. Carrot ginger dressing: This easy ginger dressing recipe is a perfect condiment for iceberg lettuce and raw veggies, and it doubles as a marinade for meat and fish.
5. 5. Carrot ginger soup: The sweetness of carrots balances pungent ginger for a soup that's at once comforting and refreshing. This carrot ginger soup is gluten-free, and you can easily make it vegan by substituting olive oil for butter and vegetable stock for chicken stock.

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