Powdered ginger (Recipe: spicy peanut noodles)

Ginger Rogers (remember Top Hat?).

Ginger Baker (remember Cream?).

Ginger Grant (remember her???).

Trader Joe's triple-ginger cookies.

What do they all have to do with powdered ginger?

Well, in their own way each is or was a little bit over-the-top, like the zing my cooking gets from good quality powdered ginger, a staple ingredient in the cuisines of Asia, North Africa, Europe, the West Indies and Caribbean — and a staple in The Perfect Pantry.

Depending on the country (and climate) of origin, powdered ginger can be pale or vibrant, mild or pungent, lemony or peppery. The main producing countries are Jamaica, India, China, Nigeria and, more recently, Australia. Penzeys powdered ginger has warm, lemon overtones, and plenty of bite. I like the balance.

Ginger to be dried is harvested 9-10 months after planting, when it is fibrous and more sharp-tasting. After the rhizomes are sun-dried, the skin is scraped off, and sometimes the pieces are boiled or bleached. Stored in an airtight container, dried pieces or powdered ginger will keep for six months on your spice rack, or up to a year in the freezer.

Powdered ginger is a must in curry and masala blends, five-spice powder, and quatre épices. It pairs well with carrots, pumpkin, squash and sweet potato — all things you might find on your Thanksgiving table — and imparts warmth and depth to baked goods like Guiness ginger cake, ginger pumpkin muffins, coconut cupcakes, and chocolate-nut pumpkin bread. Powdered ginger tastes very different than fresh, and one should never be substituted for the other.

In English pubs, bartenders used to set out small containers of powdered ginger, for people to sprinkle into their beer — the origin of ginger ale. In order to gee up (encourage) a lazy horse, English farmers apply a pinch of ginger to the animal’s backside. I'm not sure how that works, exactly....

SPICY PEANUT NOODLES
The owners of Moka, a restaurant in Boston's Back Bay in the 1990s, shared this recipe with readers of my newspaper column. It's great hot or cold. Serves 6 as an appetizer or light lunch.

2 cups peanut butter
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1-1/2 tsp chili powder
1 lb cooked angel-hair pasta
Optional garnishes: shredded carrots, scallions, red peppers, cucumbers

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except pasta, and mix well. Add pasta, toss, and garnish as colorfully as you wish.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

Comments

[Peter Franklin]

Ginger, Ginger, Ginger...where would be be without you? Last night, as the Thanksgiving deluge (on both fronts) was winding down to a mere drizzle, it was time to break out the Punkin' Pies. Pies? Yes. We always need two...as the first one is devoured by the four of us in fine fashion. And we need a second to serve as a coutnerpoint to leftovers. Whipped cream is a must...with a dash of vanilla and a pinch of dried ginger. The subtly of the spice is not lost on the pie...or the cream.

PF

[Lydia]

Peter, my friend, welcome to The Perfect Pantry! Two pies, eh? Sounds like quite the feast! We were too full for dessert, but I'd been planning baked apples with a cinnamon-ginger-brown sugar topping. Next time...

[Paul]

Thanks for instruction *not* to use fresh for powdered ginger - that had never occurred to me; since being in the UK where lots of spices are around in fresh or whole forms fairly cheaply (in Indian stores generally), I have been kind of ignoring my spice powders - good to know they're a special resource....

[Ari (Baking and Books)]

I rarely used powdered ginger until I learned (from Alton Brown) that it enhances the flavor of cinnamon, which is one of my favorite spices. Now I always pair the two up!

[Amy]

I have to second your endorsement of Penzeys ginger. Ever since I've begun ordering my spices from them there is no going back to grocery store spices.

My little brother calls ginger "Amy's Pepper" because I love it so much I seem to use it in everything. In fact, in addition to powdered ginger I always have fresh and pickled on hand as well.

One use for fresh ginger that I've only begun recently is to make a tisane that is great right before bed. Steep 1 slice of lemon, 1 slice of orange, and 1 thin slice of fresh ginger in hot water for about 3 minutes. Sweeten with honey.

I love all of the great information on your site! Thanks so much.

[mimi]

Well-written post — I can tell you are a food writer.

Don't you love the no-nonsense Penzeys labels? I always know I am getting quality with Penzeys — and to think the company started out here in Wisconsin.

[Lydia]

Paul, do try the powdered ginger. I add a little bit to a box gingerbread mix, and it really makes a difference!

Ari, great tip about cinnamon and ginger!

Amy and Mimi -- Penzeys is the best, isn't it? They just opened a store outside Boston, which is closest to me but still more than an hour away. I usually order by mail, and have never been disappointed with the quality. (I must say that the stores are disappointing, however; no food, no cooking, just shelves of jars. Would be nice to see their spices in action....)