Ginger
ขิง
Khing: warm, juicy root for stir-fries, Chinese-Thai dishes and northern curries.
Ginger is used far less than galangal in Thai cooking, and the two are not interchangeable. Where galangal is sharp and piney, ginger is warm and sweet, and it shows up mostly in dishes with Chinese roots and in the north.
| Pronunciation | king |
|---|---|
| Flavour | Warm, spicy-sweet and juicy |
| Used in | Gai pad khing, gaeng hang lay, khao man gai sauce, soups |
| Substitute | None for its own dishes; do not use it in place of galangal |
How it is used
- Cut into fine matchsticks and stir-fried with chicken, mushrooms and soybean paste in gai pad khing.
- Shredded into gaeng hang lay, the northern pork curry, where it is almost a vegetable.
- Grated into the soybean-chilli sauce for khao man gai, and simmered into its chicken stock.
- Sliced into fish soups and steamed fish to freshen them.
- Served raw in slivers with sai oua and other grilled northern sausages.
Young and mature ginger
Young ginger (khing on) has thin, pinkish skin and tender, mild flesh that can be cut into matchsticks and eaten raw or pickled. Mature ginger is fibrous and hotter; peel it and use it grated or in thin slices.
Buying and storing
Choose firm, smooth roots that snap cleanly. Keep ginger in the fridge in a paper bag for two to three weeks, or freeze it and grate it from frozen.
Cook’s tipPeel ginger with the edge of a teaspoon. It follows the bumps and wastes far less than a knife.
More Vegetables
- Lemongrass ตะไคร้
- Galangal ข่า
- Makrut Lime มะกรูด
- Thai Basil โหระพา
- Holy Basil กะเพรา
- Bird’s Eye Chilli พริกขี้หนู
- Coriander Root รากผักชี
- Thai Eggplant มะเขือเปราะ
- Pea Eggplant มะเขือพวง
- Yard-long Beans ถั่วฝักยาว
- Morning Glory ผักบุ้ง
- Green Papaya มะละกอดิบ
- Thai Shallots หอมแดง
- Pandan Leaf ใบเตย
- Garlic กระเทียม
- Fresh Turmeric ขมิ้น
- Dried Red Chillies พริกแห้ง
- Mint สะระแหน่
- Sawtooth Coriander ผักชีฝรั่ง
- Coriander Leaves ผักชี
- Bean Sprouts ถั่วงอก
- Garlic Chives กุยช่าย
- Pickled Mustard Greens ผักกาดดอง
- Fingerroot กระชาย
- Lemon Basil แมงลัก
- Chinese Kale คะน้า
- Bamboo Shoots หน่อไม้
- Banana Blossom หัวปลี
- Cha-om ชะอม
- Stink Bean สะตอ
- Winged Bean ถั่วพู
- Water Mimosa ผักกระเฉด
- Pumpkin ฟักทอง
Recipes with Ginger
Noodles & Rice
Khao Mok Gai (Thai-Muslim Chicken Biryani)
Spiced yellow rice cooked with yogurt-marinated chicken, topped with crispy shallots and served with a sweet-sour green chilli and mint sauce.
90 min · Medium
Noodles & Rice
Khao Man Gai (Thai Hainanese Chicken Rice)
Silky poached chicken, rice cooked in the chicken stock and fat, and a punchy fermented soybean, ginger and chilli sauce.
95 min · Medium
Noodles & Rice
Khao Soi Gai (Chiang Mai Curry Noodles)
Northern Thailand’s curry noodle soup: chicken legs in a rich coconut curry over soft egg noodles, topped with a nest of crispy fried noodles.
90 min · Medium
Curries
Gaeng Hang Lay (Northern Pork Belly Curry)
A rich, Burmese-influenced curry of slow-cooked pork belly with ginger, pickled garlic, tamarind and peanuts. No coconut milk.
150 min · Medium
Grilled & Fried
Sai Oua (Northern Thai Herb Sausage)
Chiang Mai’s famous coiled pork sausage, packed with lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime and dried chilli, grilled slowly over charcoal.
90 min · Medium