Ginger

Zingiber officinale

Ginger is a spice from a fibrous rhizome that is juicy when raw. Sold fresh or dried, it is used in baking, seasonings, infusions, paste blends, pickles, and preserves. It pairs with garlic, fish, meat, and coffee.

Plant-based
Gluten-free
No listed allergens

About the plain ingredient, not packaged products; general information, not medical advice. Details

Category: Herbs & spices
Part used: Rhizome
Family: Zingiberaceae
Texture: Juicy, fibrous
Cooked most in: Asia, Africa
Top country: Indonesia
Dishes: 72 in the catalogue
Energy: 80 kcal per 100 g

Photo: Sanjay Acharya · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In the kitchen

How to use ginger

Typical ways to cook or use it

Bake
Ferment
Infuse
Paste blend
Pickle
Preserve
Raw
Season

Preparing it

Fresh ginger can be peeled before eating. For kimchi, mince or juice ginger to avoid a fibrous texture. Grate ginger to use it raw on tofu or noodles.

Goes well with

Flavour

Taste and texture

Texture, raw

Juicy

Texture

Fibrous

Shopping

Choosing and storing ginger

Sold as: Dried, Fresh
Availability: Supermarkets

Nutrition

What 100 g of ginger holds

Per 100 g, raw. Averages from USDA; real values vary by variety, season and growing conditions.

Protein 9%Fat 4%Carbohydrate 87%of the macronutrients by weight

Nutrition per 100 g of ginger, raw
Energy	80 kcal · 333 kJ
Protein	1.8 g
Fat	0.75 g
of which saturated	0.2 g
Carbohydrate	18 g
of which sugars	1.7 g
Fibre	2 g
Sodium	13 mg
Cholesterol	0 mg

Nutrition per 100 g of ginger, raw: minerals and vitamins
Potassium	415 mg
Calcium	16 mg
Iron	0.6 mg
Magnesium	43 mg
Zinc	0.34 mg
Vitamin C	5 mg
Folate	11 µg

Other forms

Protein 11%Fat 5%Carbohydrate 84%of the macronutrients by weight

Nutrition per 100 g of ginger, other form
Energy	335 kcal · 1,404 kJ
Protein	9 g
Fat	4.2 g
of which saturated	2.6 g
Carbohydrate	72 g
of which sugars	3.4 g
Fibre	14 g
Sodium	27 mg
Cholesterol	0 mg

Nutrition per 100 g of ginger, other form: minerals and vitamins
Potassium	1,320 mg
Calcium	114 mg
Iron	20 mg
Magnesium	214 mg
Zinc	3.6 mg
Vitamin C	0.7 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)	2 µg
Folate	13 µg

Source: USDA FoodData Central (foods 169231, 170926), public domain. Minerals and vitamins are listed only where USDA measured a non-zero amount.

Around the world

Where ginger is cooked

72 dishes in the catalogue use ginger. Here is where they come from.

Dishes by continent

Asia64
Africa2

Countries whose dishes use it most

Counts are catalogued dishes from each country that list ginger among their ingredients.

Origins

0XXX · Madagascar and Comoros
Austronesian voyagers carried ginger to Madagascar and the Comoros.
150 · Sri Lanka
Ptolemy recorded ginger production in Sri Lanka.
The 1500s · Caribbean
Ginger plants were brought from Asia to the Caribbean.

On the table

Dishes made with ginger

48 of the 72 catalogued dishes that use it, spread across the countries they come from.

Coto makassar
Indonesia
Laksa
Iran
Gonré
Burkina Faso
Dhokla
India
Djenkoume
Togo
Xidoufen
Caluk noodles
Indonesia
Matang satay
Indonesia
Kuwah Pliëk U
Indonesia
Klatak Satay
Indonesia
Kuah beulangong
Indonesia
Otak-otak
Indonesia
Arsik
Indonesia
Kanji rumbi
Indonesia
Lontong kikil
Indonesia
Nasi gandul
Indonesia
Rujak soto
Indonesia
Bir pletok
Indonesia
Nasi lapola
Indonesia
Sangsang
Indonesia
Tongseng
Indonesia
Dengke Mas Naniura
Indonesia
Ketupat gulai kapau
Indonesia
Lotek
Indonesia
Tanggo-tanggo
Indonesia
Ayam tangkap
Indonesia
Jepara grilled opor
Indonesia
Mie ayam
Indonesia
Mi Gomak
Indonesia
Rendang lokan
Indonesia
Tambunsu curry
Indonesia
Beef gulai
Indonesia
Mi Kocok
Indonesia
Sate lilit
Indonesia
Sop saudara
Indonesia
Manuk Napinadar
Indonesia
Masam keueueng
Indonesia
Mie celor
Indonesia
Natinombur
Indonesia
Soto Bogor
Indonesia
Soto Kudus
Indonesia
Sour Fish Soup
Indonesia
Timlo
Indonesia
Ayam goreng
Indonesia
Keumamah
Indonesia
Komoh
Indonesia
Padang satay
Indonesia
Tempe orek
Indonesia

Dish lists come from Wikidata; a dish counts when its recorded ingredients include ginger.

Good to know

Diet and allergens: ginger in detail

These notes describe the plain ingredient. Packaged and prepared products vary, so read the label; for allergies and medical diets ask a doctor or dietitian.

Allergens: None of the 15 listed allergens foundChecked and not found: soy, eggs, fish, milk, lupin, wheat, celery, sesame, mustard, peanuts, molluscs, sulphites, tree nuts, crustaceans, gluten cereals.
Animal origin: No animal ingredients foundChecked and not found: egg, fish, meat, dairy, honey, insect, gelatin, poultry, bone char, shellfish, other animal, animal fining, animal rennet.
Gluten: None
Alcohol: None
Caffeine: None
Pork: None