Curious Cook: Secrets of ginger

The fresh ginger root on white background

Ginger is one of the modern kitchen’s most interesting herbs. The spice has a punchy flavour mixed with a tangy citrus-like aroma and this combination lends a lot of character to many dishes.

The culinary properties of the herb are known since ancient times and it was one of the first spices exported from its home in South-East Asia to the West. Before that, ginger had already migrated via trade routes to India and Sri Lanka around 5,500 years ago. After that, the spice slowly made its way into the Mediterranean countries and ancient Greeks and Romans were cooking with ginger almost 2,000 years ago.