Susan Yen L.Ac
Ginger is a staple ingredient in a Chinese family’s kitchen. It can be eaten in its raw form, boiled in soups and teas, sauteed with meats and vegetables, steamed with seafood, and even pickled.
With this wide range of uses, an even more amazing fact about ginseng is that from its freshly picked root to its dried up weeks old form, every stage has its own particular useto enhance its distinct flavor at that moment. Due to its spicy property, it can be used to get rid of gamy or fishy smells in meats and seafood, promote appetite, and it also contains antibacterial properties.
Ginger tea has been used to help with hangovers because its fragrance and spicy properties aid the movement of the stomach qi, thereby help to settle upset stomach. One of the spices used in Indian chai is ginger. It is used for this reason as well as to neutralize the cold property of tea leaf itself.
Young fresh ginger is often pickled because the skin is thin enough to easily absorb the pickle juice (usually a combination of vinegar and sugar), and its fibers are still soft enough to be eaten.
Pickled ginger is mostly paired with sushi or sashimi because it’s faint spicy and sour taste (from the vinegar) helps to induce appetite and acts as a palate cleanser.
Other than raw seafood, pickled ginger can also be used in porridge (whether it is vegetable-, meat-, or seafood-based). This is an especially great dish for people who have poor digestion or are recovering from an ailment.
To make a delicious and soothing porridge, first, boil cooked rice in twice amount of either water or soup stock. (For example, 1 cup of rice add 2 cups of water/stock.) Once the rice is cooked to a soggy and broken down state, add one more cup of water or stock, and when it starts to boil, throw in the vegetables, meats, or seafood of your choice. When the raw ingredients are cooked through, turn the heat off and add about a teaspoon pickled ginger into the pot.
Make sure to stir occasionally so rice does not stick to the bottom of the pot and also turn down the heat or add a little bit of water when it looks about to boil over. Bon appetite.
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