Spice of the week: Ginger

Hey everyone!

For the next few weeks, I will be featuring an entry about a different spice. I will discuss specifically how they can be used in your cooking and some of their nutritional benefits. My hope is that you will value this information and perhaps consider incorporating the featured spice in your diet if you have not already done so. This week’s featured spice is ginger.

You will commonly see ginger come in two forms: fresh ginger root that you get from the produce section of the grocery store and powdered ginger that you get from the spice section of the store. You are more likely to see fresh ginger used while cooking meat or vegetables while you will see powdered ginger used more in baking or teas.

Gingerol, a compound found in ginger, is believed to give ginger its anti-nausea and anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger provides a good amount of antioxidants, a moderate amount of Vitamin B6, manganese, and magnesium, and a miniscule amount of zinc, Vitamin C, folate, and calcium. Some studies show that ginger helps people with gastrointestinal issues (nausea and vomiting), inflammation caused by arthritis, and boosting of the immune system.

Ginger is a very versatile spice that can be used in a variety of foods.

Some of my favorite ways of using ginger are listed below:

• Powdered ginger incorporated into tea
• Grated ginger on baked fish
• Grated ginger in in stir fry vegetables
• Grated ginger in fried apples
• Powdered ginger or grated ginger in oatmeal
• Grated ginger or powdered ginger incorporated into homemade soups
• Grated ginger or powdered ginger incorporated into homemade salad dressings
• Powdered ginger in homemade cookies

Comment below with some of your favorite ways to use ginger!