Ginger is Strange and Wonderful

Hey y’all,

I’ve been using a lot of ginger recently, and I’ve learned some things.

First off, ginger has amazing health benefits. I think most people know that, but ginger is packed with antioxidants and is a powerful inflammation fighter. It has antibacterial effects and calms nausea (so it’s helpful if you’re sick). Ginger also soothes muscles/aches and pains, and it helps with blood-sugar regulation. Since ginger is such a great inflammation fighter, it can help with things like arthritis, cholesterol, and cancer (webmd).

Here’s where ginger gets a little strange and why I’ve been using it so much. Yes, ginger enhances the flavor of food. It’s good to add flavor to Asian cuisines and things like gingerbread cookies and spice cake. However, ginger has the secret ability to neutralize flavors but not really add any flavor of its own. I put beans in some cake the other day, and I could really taste them… until I added ginger. Then, only the cranberry-orange flavor I wanted came through. I also used some in my smoothie today. I’d put a beet in there but didn’t want to taste it. A little ginger completely got rid of the taste. The trick is to use enough ginger to mask things but not enough to overpower what you want. I usually add in ginger powder by teaspoon fulls until I get the correct flavor.

Ginger is so good for the body that it’s wonderful to be able to use it more. I don’t eat that many dishes that I want to taste like ginger, but I definitely eat things where it’s nice to mask some flavors (like beans or vegetables).