Seido 101: How To Peel And Mince Fresh Ginger Like A Chef
Ginger is most often eaten alongside sushi to clean the palate. But, there are other ways of eating and preparing fresh ginger. Ginger can be grated and added to sauces or minced and added to soups.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN SELECTING GINGER
When selecting ginger, choose pieces that are firm and heavy. Soft and wrinkled ginger is typically old. The skin should be taut and smooth, and it should have a light sheen. Hold the ginger to your nose. Fresh ginger should smell strong and spicy.
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
BEST KNIVES TO MINCE GINGER
To mince ginger effectively, you'll need a sharp chef's knife or paring knife. Select a knife from our Kanpeki Damascus Knife Set, for example.
CUTTING BOARD
You will also need a strong cutting board made from wood or plastic. Our Gourmet Acacia, End Grain Cutting Board can work perfectly as it will prevent damage to your countertops.
SPOON
Although a spoon may seem odd, it's great for scraping off the skin of the ginger.
VEGETABLE PEELER
Some people prefer to peel ginger with a spoon while others prefer a vegetable peeler. Both can be used for this purpose.
Mince Ginger Like a Chef With Seido Knives!
HOW TO PEEL GINGER
PEELING GINGER WITH A SPOON
Hold the ginger firmly in one hand. With your other hand, use the edge of the spoon to scrape the surface of the ginger. The thin skin should peel off easily.
PEELING GINGER WITH A VEGETABLE PEELER
To peel ginger with a vegetable peeler, hold the ginger firmly in one hand and slide the peeler along the surface of the ginger with your other hand.
HOW TO MINCE GINGER
STEP 1: PEEL
Start by peeling the ginger with a vegetable peeler or spoon.
STEP 2: SLICE AND DICE
Next, lay the ginger pieces on your cutting board. With a sharp knife, slice across the ginger. After making long slices, gather the cuts and make perpendicular cuts. You should now have small cubes.
STEP 3: FINAL MINCING STEP
Using a rocking motion, mince the ginger into smaller bits. If you want an extra-fine mince, gather the chopped bits and slice them again.
HOW TO CHOP GINGER AND HOW TO SLICE GINGER
STEP 1: PEEL
Peel the ginger using a spoon or a vegetable peeler. Cut off any knobs.
STEP 2: SLICE
Then, slice the ginger across the grain to make thin rounds. You can also gather the slices together and cut them into strips.
STEP 3: CHOP
Gather the strips together and then make perpendicular cuts so that you have small cubes. You can continue to chop the ginger into smaller-sized cubes or leave them as is.
HOW TO STORE GINGER
STEP 1: CHOOSE THE LOCATION
Choose a dry, cool spot to store your unpeeled ginger. Store it in a cupboard where it's away from direct sunlight.
STEP 2: CHOOSE THE PACKAGING
Store freshly cut ginger in a tight plastic bag and store it in the fridge. You can also preserve ginger by storing it in a jar with vodka.
STEP 3: EXTEND THE SHELF LIFE
If you have ginger that you won't need immediately, place the cut ginger in a freezer-safe plastic bag and store it in your freezer.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MINCED, GRATED, CHOPPED AND SLICED GINGER
Minced ginger root, chopped into very tiny pieces, can be spread out evenly over a dish. Grated ginger has a fibrous texture and is ideal for sauces. Chopped ginger will give you large, visible pieces. And sliced ginger offers thin pieces, much like the ginger that is served alongside sushi and sashimi.
PRO TIPS: HOW TO GRATE FRESH GINGER
The best way to grate ginger is to use a fine grater. This will give you a very fine texture. To prevent stringy ginger, freeze the ginger before grating it. If you want to extract as much flavor as possible from the root, grate your ginger directly into your food or sauce.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Peeling and mincing fresh ginger isn't particularly challenging, but there are specific techniques you should use to enhance the flavor. And with a chef's knife - choose one from our Japanese Master Chef Knife Set, 5-Pieces - you can mince, slice, chop and learn how to grate ginger without a grater.
