Everything You Need to Know About Ground Ginger, Because Fresh Isn’t Always Best

Picture this: You’re hovering over the kitchen counter, flour all over your apron, maybe a little in your hair. Your stand mixer is taking a rest, a pile of dirty bowls is (manageably) stacked up in the sink. Things are good. Things are comforting. You’ve just put a batch of crispy lemon-ginger cookies—or maybe it’s pumpkin gingerbread, I have no way of knowing when you’re reading this—in the oven. Either way, after a few minutes, the warming scent fills the room, conjuring up coziness, restfulness. The person you were planning on sharing your cookies and/or cake with walks in and declares with such confidence: “You’re making cinnamon rolls!! I love cinnamon rolls.” Well, OK, that’s great, babe, but I hope you like these ground ginger-centric baked goods! 

Used in both sweet and savory applications (the former of which are, sure, yes, often paired with cinnamon and nutmeg), ground ginger has become a staple in many kitchens, if not one with a slightly less overpowering smell than its sweet-and-spicy counterparts. But this invigorating, slightly peppery format of the aromatic isn’t always a 1:1 swap-in for its fresher self. We dove into all that is ground ginger with Alyse Baca, Culinary Director of Spicewalla and our very own Genevieve Yam to learn more about how to use it, as well as what to look for when buying and storing it.

What Is Ground Ginger?

We can’t talk about ground ginger without acknowledging its roots (pun intended)—ginger itself. The aromatic ingredient comes from the rhizome, a plant stem that spreads its roots underground. Turmeric and galangal are also part of the rhizome family. More specifically, ginger is from the Zingiberaceae family, of which there are more than 1,300 species of flowering ginger plants. The knobby, golden ginger plant is native to Southeast Asia, specifically nations like Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, and used in many of these cuisines. The type that’s often sold in supermarkets is called Zingiber officinale. 

“About one-third of the world’s ginger is grown and harvested in India,” says Baca. “Historical references to ginger being used in food, as well as medicine, date back nearly 5000 years.”

Ground ginger is made by peeling and drying the fresh ginger plant and then pulverizing it into a fine powder. The spice is pungent, but has a tamer, milder flavor than fresh ginger.

How to Buy and Store Ground Ginger

Ground ginger can be found anywhere you buy spices, whether in a regular-schmegular grocery store or an international market. You’ll want to look for a beige color when shopping. As for storing, make sure to keep ground ginger in a cool and dry place away from sunlight, just like with most of your other spices. 

While ground ginger will last up to two years before losing potency, smell is also a good indicator of freshness. “The aroma of a spice will give you a lot of information about how fresh and flavorful it is,” says Baca: “If you are able to smell your spices and they have a strong aroma it is likely to be at its freshest.” So if you sniff your ground ginger and don’t pick up much scent, that’s a sign your ground ginger is no longer in its prime, and, therefore, won’t have the desired impact on whatever you’re using it in.

How to Cook With Ground Ginger

Ground ginger is usually preferred over fresh when used in sweet applications and baked goods. “I almost always prefer to use ground ginger in dessert recipes, unless it’s a recipe that would really benefit from the zing of fresh ginger, like a British-style steamed ginger pudding or wintery ginger cake with molasses,” says Genevieve. Baca notes that ground ginger can be better in desserts that require smooth textures, like custards, because you’re likely after the flavor of ginger but not the fibrous root. 

The warm notes that ground ginger offers also works well in classic sweet treats like pumpkin pie, brownies, and even our homemade pumpkin spice latte. You know, desserts that are better with a slight bit of punch.

Contrastingly, some may think to use ground ginger as a substitute for fresh ginger in savory dishes, but while “dried ginger lends a kick, it just isn’t as punchy as fresh ginger,” Genevieve adds. The ground spice is pungent in its own way, but lacks the freshness that an aromatic can offer. It can be used in a lot of curries, stews, or braises, but again, it may not have the same effect as fresh. “If I’m making Chinese food, I always use fresh ginger,” says Genevieve. “I’d rather not make it if all I have is ground ginger!” She goes on to mention the ground flavor works well in marinades, while Baca likes to add ground ginger to soups and salad dressing, for a “lovely zip of flavor.”

A substitute for ground ginger is, of course, fresh ginger—plus, it’s easy to keep it around like you might with garlic and onions. I even like to freeze fresh ginger to prevent it from going bad, although it does have a decent shelf life. Still, it never hurts to keep both around! That way when a baking itch strikes (and you want to make something nice for someone who knows less about spices than you do) that warm-and-cozy smell can fill your kitchen at a moment’s notice.