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July 21, 2016

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Ginger’s spicy tangThe root of fine eating

By Li Anlan | July 21, 2016, Thursday | Print Edition

AN apple a day keeps the doctor away” may be the Western mantra for the benefits of a healthy diet, but in China , the proverbial wisdom is “a radish in winter and ginger in summer keep the doctor away.”

Traditional Chinese medicine tells us that eating ginger in the summer accelerates perspiration to cool the body, increases blood circulation and helps ward off colds caused by prolonged hours in air-conditioning rooms or eating foods that are too chilled.

Ginger, a powerful antioxidant, is believed to have originated on the Indian subcontinent. It has come to be used as a spice and in fragrances. In folk medicine, it is said to aid digestion, relieve nausea and motion sickness and reduce swelling and pain.

In Chinese cooking, ginger is classified by species and form.

Sheng jiang, which translates as “raw ginger,” is the fresh root used in everyday cooking.

Zi jiang, or “baby ginger,” is the tender, seasonal ginger shoot often used in making pickles.

Gan jiang, or “dry ginger,” is the dehydrated form used in traditional Chinese medicine and in soup-making. It stores for a long time.

Ginger is most commonly used as a spice, its unique aroma adding flavor to dishes and also eliminating unwanted tastes and odors from other ingredients.

Before meats like ribs, poultry or offal are cooked in China, they are usually first boiled in water to remove any residual blood. A few slices of fresh ginger are often thrown in the pot to remove any undesirable “meaty” smell and taste. Ginger is also used when cooking freshwater fish to take away that “fishy” odor.

Aside from its food-cleansing properties, ginger plays a leading role in many classic Chinese dishes.

Pig trotters and ginger in vinegar (zhu jiao jiang) is a popular dish in Cantonese cuisine. The collagen-rich stew uses four ingredients: pigs’ trotters, egg, ginger and sweet vinegar. The nutrient-rich dish is often recommended for women after childbirth.

To make the dish, the eggs are first hard-boiled and then shelled. Chunks of trotters are cooked briefly in boiling water. A pile of thick slices of fresh ginger (about 300 grams per half-kilo of trotters) are stir-fried lightly over low heat to dry them a bit. In a clay pot, rock sugar and a bottle of sweet vinegar are brought to the boil. Then the eggs, ginger and trotters are added. The pot simmers for about 90 minutes, until the meat is soft.

In the city of Quanzhou in Fujian Province, braised ginger duck (jiang mu ya) is a traditional dish that marries duck meat with ginger, spices and herbs. It’s especially popular in the winter.

Ginger rice is a typical staple of southern China. Crushed ginger paste is tossed in some hot oil, and then water, salt and rice are added. The rice is simmered over a low heat until done. In Wuchuan, Guangdong Province, sausages and other cured meats top the rice, with a couple more slices of ginger added.

Most people wouldn’t think of eating fresh ginger raw. It’s very pungent root and can pretty much destroy your taste for anything else at the moment.

Pickles are one way to enjoy tender ginger shoots. In Sichuan, the pickles are called pao cai. Once pickled, ginger’s taste is milder but the crunchiness remains. Pepper, salt and sugar are often added to the pickling liquid. Tender ginger is harvested in July and August, then preserved for months as pao cai.

Tender ginger shoots can also be soaked in white vinegar for a few days to make a sour pickle. Matured ginger can be made into pickles by infusing it in stronger black vinegar and sugar for a longer period of time.

Because ginger’s health benefits are too good to pass up, people have come up with interesting ways to use the root in snacks and desserts.

Candied ginger (tang jiang) is a sweet snack made from thin slices of ginger marinated in sugar overnight, then stir-fried in a pan until a syrup forms. The mixture is then poured into a clean, dry pan and tossed quickly until the syrup forms a layer of dry sugar coating.

Another way to make candied ginger is to boil fresh ginger slices for about an hour until the ginger becomes soft and chewy. A syrup is then made by mixing sugar into some of the water used to boil the ginger. The ginger slices are then cooked in the mixture over low heat until it become very thick. The ginger is then removed and evenly coated with sugar.

Ginger candy (jiang tang), on the other hand, is a hard candy made from fresh ginger juice and brown sugar. It is very sweet and readily available in supermarkets and online food retailers. It’s hard to make in home kitchens.

In Cantonese cuisine, sweet soups known as tang shui often add some ginger.

Ginger milk curd (jiang zhuang nai) is a dessert served hot. Mature ginger is finely grated and then the juice squeezed out. About 10 milligrams of the juice are added to individual bowls, then scalded, sweetened milk is added when it cools to about 70 degrees Celsius.

Ginger tea is considered a remedy for colds, sore throats and indigestion. In the West, ginger teabags often have blends of other flavors, such as peach, pineapple, lemon and honey.

In China, ginger tea is prepared differently. Ginger may be combined with sweeter ingredients, like jujube, goji berries and brown sugar, then stored in glass jars in the fridge to use at any time.

Classic brown sugar jujube ginger tea paste is made by whirring skinned ginger and cored jujube in a blender. Then sugar and water are added, and the mixture is simmered over low heat until it thickens. The paste can then be chilled and stored in jars. Adding a spoonful of the past to a cup of hot water makes an instant tea.

Lemon ginger tea syrup, combining ginger, lemon peel, lemon juice and rock sugar, can be made and stored in the same way.

Fresh matured ginger can also be brewed in milk teas, together with brown sugar and jujube, as a warm-up beverage.

Lemon ginger cola is a popular cold remedy that originated in Hong Kong. It’s made simply by boiling fresh lemon and ginger briefly in a cola and then serving it hot.

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