Young ginger refers to the ginger root that has not matured. It has smooth cream-colored skin with pink tips. The flavor is bright and mild and can be eaten raw and cooked.
Young ginger (新生姜, “new ginger”) is the immature rhizome of ginger. It’s a seasonal treat with mild, bright, and less intense flavors. This perishable root emerges about six months after planting and is grown locally as it cannot be shipped long distances.
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What Is Young Ginger
Young ginger (Zingiber officinale), also known as spring ginger, baby ginger, or pink ginger, is the young root of ginger.
The easiest way to differentiate young ginger is its light cream and almost translucent skin with pink tips. Unlike mature ginger, which is pungent, fibrous, and spicy, it is tender and juicy. The skin is so thin that it can be eaten or peeled with fingers or a spoon. Inside, the flesh is pale and lacks a fibrous texture.
What Does It Taste Like
It has a milder peppery, juicy, crisp flavor with a hint of sweet floral fragrance.
How To Use
As the spiciness is subtle, wash, trim the cut surfaces, and enjoy it in salads, noodles, desserts, and drinks. You can also use it like regular ginger in recipes, such as stir-fries, soups, sauces, and stews. Skip the peeling and add slices or gratings directly to your dishes.
The Japanese use it to make gari (ガリ), pickled ginger slices that come with sushi as a palate cleanser (cheap gari is made with regular ginger dyed pink).
How To Make Sushi Ginger (Gari)
To make gari, use young ginger. It’s thinly sliced and marinated in a sweet rice vinegar mixture. It will naturally become a light pink color from the pink parts of the young ginger. Enjoy with sushi or accompaniment to your Japanese meal.
Where To Buy
You can buy it in Japanese or Asian markets when in season. As young ginger has become a trendy ingredient in the past few years, you may find it at local farmers’ markets.
How To Choose The Best
It is available from April to May, although some farmers grow it in greenhouses for year-round availability. With a short season, it is pricier than mature ginger. Choose the ones that smell fresh with a floral aroma. Avoid those with wrinkly dried-out skin.
How to Store
As it has a high water content, use it much quicker than regular ginger as it’ll spoil.
One of my readers shared her secret to extend its use: Put the ginger in a brown paper bag and store it in the refrigerator. The brown bag absorbs excess moisture but doesn’t dry it out. Give it a try to see if this method works for you.
You can also freeze sliced or grated ginger for later use.
Health Benefits
Ginger is one of the world’s oldest medicinal foods, used to ease nausea, indigestion, and inflammation. It also contains vitamin C, fiber, iron, potassium, antioxidants, and essential oils. The pungent and spicy characteristics are due to gingerol, a nonvolatile compound in the skin.
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