Ginger (Fresh)

by | Dec 25, 2008 | Ingredients | 0 comments

Ingredient Name:

Fresh Ginger

Traditional Chinese Name:

薑 (jiāng)

 

Oh ginger ginger!  One staple ingredient in the Chinese cooking repertoire, including soups.  It’s so common that I will always have ginger in my fridge.  For soups, all you’ll need are a few slices depending on the soup and dish you’re making, but it’s also used to “explode” or create a fragrant oil before you stir-fry any dishes.

Fresh ginger is by nature is warm and is great in supporting the lungs, spleen, and stomach.  It is the ONE BIGGEST ingredient used in confinement because of it’s warming nature and that it eliminates wind and replenishes yang in the body.  

How do I prepare it?

    Fresh ginger is straightforward to prepare.  Wash, with peeling option, slice, and use directly in your soup, stew, or dish.
    Some uses for fresh ginger in soups:
    Drop it directly fresh into your soup to warm it up, for example, Pig’s feet with ginger in black vinegar is one of these soups that need ginger.
    Drop it directly fresh into your soup to remove stale or fishy tastes.  This is perfect for fish and seafood soups and congee.
    Use fresh ginger to pre-fry or blanch fish, meats, or seafood to eliminate the stale or fishy taste.  This is a critical step in most organ meats such as pig’s lungs or stomach before you put these into your soups.

Where can I buy it and cost?

      • You can buy this in any supermarket
      • They usually come as a full root in different sizes, so pick the size you feel you’ll need
      • Ginger stores well in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.  Depending on humidity of your environment, I find if it does go back, it will start with the ends, which will either rot or dry.  Just cut this off and check that the rest is in good condition.

What is the cost?

      • There is a range of cost for ginger depending on whether it’s organic, imported, or a variant of your staple ginger root.

Any benefits?

  • By ingesting garlic, it stimulates the saliva glands, which makes swallowing easier
  • It is also found to be effective in treating nausea
  • Many cultures use ginger in a variety of ways to help with flu prevention or fighting the common cold
  • For the Chinese, ginger is the primary ingredient used in confinement (postpartum) remedy

Any precautions?

  • Too much ginger can cause heartburn, bloating, gas and nausea, therefore for individuals who have sensitive stomachs, be weary of your consumption
  • Ginger is known to be a “heaty” food, if a person is too “heaty” or has too much yang, you can avoid this food until your body is rebalanced

Looking to build your basic Chinese Soup Pantry?

Check out this video to begin building your soup pantry.  There are 7 basic dried ingredients to get you started.

 

EXPLORE MORE

Japanese Inspired Vinaigrette (for Beef Carpaccio or Salad)

Sauce Name: Japanese inspired vinaigrette (for beef carpaccio or salads or as an appetizers) Nature:  Warm (which is primarily the vinegar) Taste:  Sour and bitter and slightly sweet Targets: Liver and stomach   For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.Yes! ...

6 Practical Applications of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Every Day Life

6 PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE IN EVERY DAY LIFE(A TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE PERSPECTIVE)Practicing and living in Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts isn't hard!  It's actually all about what you consume, when you consume it, your...

Green radish with carrots & corn in a Chinese herbal pork broth

Soup Name: Green radish with carrots & corn in a Chinese Herbal Pork Broth Traditional Chinese Name: 紅青蘿蔔湯 (hóng qing luóbo tang) Nature:  Cooling Taste: Sweet and savory For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.My parents came home last night from a cruise...

Hot and slightly spicy Korean Kimchi and Tofu Jjigae (soup)

Soup Name: Korean  Kimchi and Tofu Jjigae (Soup) Nature:  Cool (although could be warmer depending on how spicy you make it, but this is driven by the cooling white radish and tofu) Taste:  Sweet, Salty For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.I know there's a...

How food flavours affect your health from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective

HOW FOOD FLAVOURS AFFECT YOUR HEALTH(A TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE PERSPECTIVE)There is a Chinese Medicine phrase that states "Food and Medicine come from the same source".   If you think about it, it totally does!  All of the ingredients found within Traditional...

Green radish with carrots & corn in a Chinese herbal pork broth

Soup Name: Green radish with carrots & corn in a Chinese Herbal Pork Broth Traditional Chinese Name: 紅青蘿蔔湯 (hóng qing luóbo tang) Nature:  Cooling Taste: Sweet and savory For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.My parents came home last night from a cruise...

Hot and slightly spicy Korean Kimchi and Tofu Jjigae (soup)

Soup Name: Korean  Kimchi and Tofu Jjigae (Soup) Nature:  Cool (although could be warmer depending on how spicy you make it, but this is driven by the cooling white radish and tofu) Taste:  Sweet, Salty For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.I know there's a...

Chinese-Styled Cream of Corn Egg Drop Soup

Tea Name: Chinese-Styled Cream of Corn and Egg Drop Soup Chinese Name:  玉米湯 (yù mǐ tāng)   Nature:  Warm Taste:  Sweet, Salty For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.There are as many versions of a Chinese-styled corn and egg drop soup as there are likely ABC...

Oh how I love thee, my salted orange! Let me count the ways…

Tea Name: The Salted Orange Traditional Chinese Name: 鹽蒸橙子 (yán zhēng chéngzi) Nature:  warm Taste:  sweet, salty For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.What?  Salted oranges? Let's start by saying that if you see a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor (and even...

Cough Reducing and Lung Nourishing Tea

Soup Name: Cough Reducing and Lung Nourishing Tea Traditional Chinese Name: 止咳茶 (zhǐké chá) Nature:  Slightly warming Taste: Sweet For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.I was naughty this weekend and took a ride in -5C (probably colder with wind chill) weather...