Settlers to North America not only brought their ginger recipes with them but also found the First Nations using wild ginger as both a seasoning and a medicine. The First Nations considered the root to be an appetizer and added it to food as it was being cooked. Wild ginger was also used to treat indigestion and relieve colic and cramps.
There are many references to ginger in nineteenth-century letters, account books, and recipes, confirming the important place this spice occupied in kitchens and sick rooms. Recipes for ginger beer, wine, cookies, cakes, and gingerbread all attest to its popularity, and it was also used in cures for coughs and colds. During the twentieth century, however, ginger almost sank into obscurity among the dozens of other spices available on the shelves of general stores and supermarkets. Our parents and grandparents might have used ginger for favourite holiday recipes, but it was not often used during the rest of the year.
With more new arrivals in Canada, ginger has enjoyed an exciting revival in recent years, both in our kitchens and our medicine cabinets. With a little experimentation, ginger — ground, sliced, dried, crystallized, or preserved in syrup — can be added to many recipes with very positive effects. As well, ginger is said to be good for influenza, motion sickness, and other digestive upsets.
At one time, ginger was quite literally worth its weight in gold. That may no longer be the case, but this traditional spice is still a very valuable addition to our diet.
Ginger Pumpkin Soup
3 cups pumpkin (canned or your own, cooked and mashed)
3 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
salt, pepper, ginger to taste
1 cup milk or light cream
1/2 cup finely chopped cooked ham (optional)
Combine well and bring to the boiling point, but do not boil. Serve immediately.
Ginger Salad Dressing
3 tablespoons vinegar (preferably wine vinegar)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
ground ginger to taste
salt to taste
This is a fine dressing for any kind of spinach, lettuce, or raw vegetable salad. It is particularly good with cooked beets that have been peeled and chopped for a salad.
The following two recipes are favourites with our Canadian neighbours of Chinese ancestry, who have been making important contributions to our foodways for close to 150 years:
Beef Strips with Orange and Ginger
1 pound lean beef rump, fillet, or sirloin, cut into thin strips
finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon finely chopped root ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 large carrot, cut into thin strips
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Place the beef strips in a bowl and sprinkle over them the orange rind and juice. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Drain the liquid from the meat and set aside, then mix the meat with the soy sauce, cornstarch, and ginger until well combined. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and add the beef. Stirfry for 1 minute until lightly coloured, then add the carrot and continue to stir-fry for a further 2-3 minutes. Stir in the green onions and reserved liquid, then cook, stirring, until boiling and thickened. Serve hot with rice noodles or plain boiled rice. Serves 4.
Ginger Chicken with Cashews
4 chicken breasts
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup celery, washed and cut diagonally
1 large onion, sliced
4 ounces cashew nuts
1 teaspoon soy sauce
small dash Tabasco sauce
Remove chicken from bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle with ginger and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan (or wok) and stir-fry the chicken for about 5 minutes. Add celery and onion and continue to stir for another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in cashew nuts, chicken broth, soy sauce, and Tabasco sauce and bring to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in a little cold water and slowly add to the chicken mixture to thicken. Continue to boil gently for about 5 minutes and serve hot. Serves 5 to 6.This dish is good with white or wild rice.
Meanwhile, Canadians from other cultural groups were developing their own specialties using ginger as an important ingredient.
Ginger Ice Cream
4 cups milk and/or cream
2/3 cup honey
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla
pinch salt
1 tablespoon preserved ginger syrup
2 ounces chopped preserved ginger
Slowly bring milk to a simmer in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the honey, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Add half the hot milk, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Lift off heat and stand saucepan in cold water. Stir in the vanilla, salt, ginger syrup, and chopped ginger. Freeze, preferably overnight. Stir several times to move the ice cream from the edge of your container to the middle. If you have an old-fashioned, hand-turned ice cream maker, or a modern one, this will give you even finer results. Serve with ginger wafers.
Ginger Wafers
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Heat molasses, corn syrup, butter, and sugar over medium heat until ready to boil. Remove from heat and transfer to bowl or leave in saucepan if it is a large one. Let cool. Blend in lightly beaten egg and the rest of the ingredients, stirring well all the time. Cover and put in a cool place until firm enough to handle (about 2 or 3 hours). Prepare a floured surface, cut dough into quarters, and roll out as thin as possible. Cut into shapes and bake in a 375ºF oven on greased baking sheets for about 8 minutes. Remove from sheets immediately. Makes about 5 dozen.
Sugar Plums
1/4 pound dried figs
1/4 pound pitted dates
1/4 pound seedless raisins
1/4 pound dried apricots
1/2 pound crystallized ginger
1/2 pound blanched almonds
1/2 pound walnut pieces
1/2 pound Brazil nuts
grated rind of 1 orange
enough lemon juice or brandy to bind the mixture together
fruit