General Information
This is ginger root that has not matured yet — it has yellow skin that is not at all wrinkly or hard. The flavor of young ginger is at once similar to and different from the old ginger. The flavor is not as strong or hot as old ginger. It has all the pure flavor and brightness of ginger, without the strong bitter and astringent taste in older ginger. You can use a greater amount of young ginger in a recipe than mature ginger without becoming overpowering.
History
Ginger is native to India and China. It takes its name from the Sanskrit word stringa-vera, which means “with a body like a horn,” as in antlers. Ginger has been important in Chinese medicine for many centuries, and is mentioned in the writings of Confucius. It is also named in the Koran, the sacred book of the Moslems, indicating it was known in Arab countries as far back as 650 A.D. It was one of the earliest spice known in Western Europe, used since the ninth century. It became so popular in Europe that it was included in every table setting, like salt and pepper. A common article of medieval and Renaissance trade, it was one of the spices used against the plague. In English pubs and taverns in the nineteenth century, barkeepers put out small containers of ground ginger, for people to sprinkle into their beer. In order to “gee up” a lazy horse, it is the time-honored practice of Sussex farmers to apply a pinch of ginger to the animal’s backside.
