Ginger (姜, jiāng) is one of the quiet foundations of Chinese home cooking. Together with spring onion and garlic it forms the aromatic base of countless stir-fries, braises and steamed dishes. Cooks use it to freshen the flavour of fish and seafood, to add warmth to soups and broths, and to make sweet drinks and syrups. Traditional Chinese food culture also counts it among the most important "warming" foods. The key to using it well is that the way you cut and cook ginger changes what it does in the dish.
Here's how to buy it, store it, cut it and cook with it the way Chinese home cooks do.
Why ginger matters so much
Walk into almost any Chinese home kitchen and you'll find a knob of ginger next to the spring onions. The two are so often used together that "ginger and spring onion" (姜葱) is practically a single ingredient. They're fried briefly in hot oil at the start of a stir-fry, tucked around fish before steaming, or shredded and scattered over a finished dish before hot oil is poured on top.
Ginger does several jobs at once. It adds a clean, peppery heat. It lifts the flavour of fish, seafood and richer ingredients, and cooks traditionally use it to soften any "fishy" edge. And it brings warmth and aroma to broths without making them heavy.
The traditional view
In Traditional Chinese Medicine and the everyday philosophy of yang sheng, or "nourishing life", ginger is classed as warming. That is why it's traditionally paired with foods regarded as cooling: tofu, leafy greens and, famously, crab, which in Shanghai is served with a dipping sauce of ginger and vinegar. It's also why a hot ginger drink is a classic response to a cold, wet day. These ideas are cultural tradition, not proven medical effects, and nothing here is medical advice. As a cooking principle, though, balancing a mild or rich ingredient with a little ginger works very well.
Buying ginger: young and mature
| Type | How to spot it | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Mature ginger | Tan, papery skin; firm and fibrous inside; strong and hot | Soups, braises, stir-fries, ginger drinks |
| Young ginger (子姜) | Pale, almost translucent skin, often with pink tips; juicy and mild | Pickles, stir-fries where ginger is eaten as a vegetable |
Whatever you buy, choose ginger that feels heavy and firm, with smooth, tight skin. Avoid pieces that are wrinkled, soft or mouldy at the cut ends. Young ginger is seasonal and most often found in Asian grocers in late summer and autumn.
Storing it
- In the fridge: wrap unpeeled ginger in kitchen paper, put it in a bag or container, and keep it in the salad drawer. It lasts a few weeks.
- In the freezer: freeze whole pieces and grate them straight from frozen, skin and all. Frozen ginger grates into a fine, fluffy snow.
How to prepare ginger
You don't always need to peel it. For slices that will flavour a broth and be lifted out, just wash it. When ginger will be eaten, scrape off the skin with the edge of a teaspoon, which follows the knobbly shape far better than a peeler.
Then choose your cut. This is where Chinese cooking is precise:
- Thick slices: for soups, braises and ginger drinks. They give flavour to the liquid and are usually not eaten.
- Smashed: whack a chunk with the flat of your cleaver. It releases juice fast and is ideal for broths and marinades.
- Fine shreds or matchsticks: for steamed fish or tofu, stir-fried greens and congee toppings. They're meant to be eaten, so cut them thin.
- Minced: for the aromatic base of stir-fries, dumpling fillings and sauces.
- Grated or juiced: for marinades and dressings where you want the flavour without fibres. Grate, then squeeze the pulp through your fingers to extract the juice.
Shreds are a knife skill worth learning. Slice peeled ginger as thinly as you can, fan the slices out like a fallen pack of cards, then cut across them into fine threads. Soak the shreds in cold water for a few minutes and they'll curl and crisp slightly.
Four ways Chinese home cooks use ginger
1. Frying the aromatics
Most stir-fries begin with a quick fry of minced or sliced ginger, garlic and spring onion in hot oil, just until fragrant. The technique is called bào xiāng (爆香), "exploding the fragrance". Keep it brief, 20 to 30 seconds, and add the main ingredients before the aromatics brown.
2. Sizzling oil over shreds
This is a classic finish for steamed dishes. Scatter fine shreds of ginger and spring onion over steamed fish, tofu or vegetables, heat two tablespoons of neutral oil until shimmering, and pour it over. The ginger sizzles and releases its aroma instantly. Add a splash of light soy sauce and it's done.
3. Simmering in soups and braises
A few slices of ginger go into almost every Chinese soup pot and braise. They give a background warmth rather than a strong ginger flavour, which is why so many recipes use them even when the dish doesn't taste of ginger.
4. Sweet drinks and syrups
Ginger is just as at home in sweet food. Ginger and brown sugar tea is a traditional winter drink. Sweet glutinous rice balls are often served in a ginger syrup, especially around the Winter Solstice. And young ginger is pickled in sweet vinegar as a sharp, refreshing side.
Recipes to try
Our book Yang Sheng uses ginger in hundreds of ways across its 499 plant-based recipes. A few where it's the star:
- Stir-Fried Chinese Broccoli with Ginger: the everyday green, lifted with fine ginger matchsticks.
- Pan-Fried Ginger Scallion Tofu Steaks: golden tofu with the classic ginger and spring onion pairing.
- Fresh Ginger & Brown Sugar Brew: the traditional warming drink for cold evenings.
- Sweet and Sour Young Ginger Pickle: a spring and summer pickle for young ginger.
To find every dish that uses it, search the recipe finder for ginger. For a gentle start, add a few fine shreds to a bowl of plain congee.
Common mistakes
- Burning it. Minced ginger scorches quickly in hot oil and turns bitter. Keep it moving and add the rest of the ingredients promptly.
- Cutting too thick. Chunky ginger in a stir-fry is an unpleasant surprise. If it's meant to be eaten, shred or mince it finely.
- Using powdered ginger. Dried ground ginger tastes quite different and has no place in most Chinese savoury dishes. Use fresh.
- Overdoing it. In most dishes ginger should support, not dominate. Start with less and add more next time.
Questions people ask
Do Chinese cooks peel ginger?
It depends. For slices that flavour a soup and are then removed, many cooks don't bother. For ginger that will be eaten, as shreds or mince, they usually scrape off the skin with a spoon.
Can I use ground ginger instead of fresh?
Not really. Ground ginger is warmer and duller, and it doesn't give the fresh, clean aroma Chinese dishes rely on. Keep a piece of fresh ginger in the freezer so you always have some.
Why is ginger used with fish?
Chinese cooks traditionally use ginger, often with spring onion and Shaoxing wine, to freshen the flavour of fish and seafood and soften any strong "fishy" notes. It's a long-standing culinary habit.
What is young ginger?
Young or new ginger is harvested early, before its skin toughens. It's juicy, mild and pale, often with pink tips, and it's especially good for pickling and for stir-fries where you eat the ginger itself.