Ginger-Zenzanm

Another spice which is a must in the kitchen of the Creole chef. Together with onion and garlic , ginger forms part of the Holy Trinity of spices of the Seychellois Creole Cuisine.

Ginger is a rhizome or underground stem of the ginger plant. Its flavour is fiery and strong but pleasant in moderation. In Creole cooking, ginger is always used fresh. In this form it may be minced, pounded, crushed or sliced and is far superior to ginger bought as powder, both in flavour and aroma.

The intense aroma and warmth fresh ginger adds to dishes is irreplaceable. The mild heat found in ginger is attributed to a chemical it contains called gingerol, which is closely related to the capsaicin found in hot peppers and the piperine in black pepper, but is much milder than the two. This mild heat, combined with floral and citrusy aromas, is what makes ginger such a versatile ingredient, just as vital in grilled fish.

Purchasing your ginger

The better quality ginger has a pale yellow interior and a skin varying from brown to off-white. It has a warm, sweetish, pungent aroma. When a piece of ginger is broken, it has a lemony freshness and a strong resemblance to rosemary, whose essential oil is similar to ginger’s consistency.

When purchasing fresh ginger look for firm pieces, with minimal dry spots. If the ginger is looking shriveled, dried out, or has soft spots, it’s a sign the ginger is past its prime and won’t have good texture or flavour. Larger pieces tend to be less dried out because they have had fewer segments snapped off; the more that are snapped off, the more openings there are for moisture to escape.

Storage

Always store your fresh ginger in a cool dry place away from sunlight. Fresh ginger can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Peeling and Cutting

Although the skin on ginger is edible, it lacks flavour and, can also lend an unpleasant texture to a dish. I always peel my ginger. I find the easiest way to peel ginger is to start with a vegetable peeler to remove the majority of the skin. I then switch to a small spoon, which is good for scraping away any remaining skin trapped within the grooves and nooks of the knob.

Each finger of ginger has tough fibers running lengthwise through it, so the key to getting tender pieces is to always cut across the grain, just as you would for carving a steak. Because one piece of ginger can have several fingers branching out in different directions, I like to start by separating each to make sure I’m always cutting each segment against the grain.