Welcome to a repeat of the series from CarolCooks2, the wonderful Culinary A – Z where today the letter is G… a reminder, not only of the amazing variety of food we have available to us today from around the world, but delicious recipes showcase them…Many thanks to Sally of Smorgasbord Magazine for repeating this series my first A-Z…as you most probably know I love an A-Z…

The letter G showcases many of my most loved and used cooking ingredients in my kitchen…

Let’s start with two ingredients which not only do I grow but use very frequently in fact almost daily I would say…

Ginger and Galangal are both used frequently in Thai cuisine. The difference visually is quite apparent Galangal has that lovely pinkish hue when it is freshly dug up.

Ginger is a soft brown colour a comparison could be the peacock and the peahen…in my mind…haha

Galangal or as it is also known Thai ginger is used in many dishes …it can only be sliced it does not grate well it is also used in the famous Tom Yum Soup

Ginger you can grate or dice finely, it is used in fish dishes here in Thailand or with Scallops it is a lovely thing.

Both are members of the rhizome family…turmeric and cardamom both being relatives of ginger which has a softer taste than the citrusy Galangal.

Ginger is softly sweet and slightly spicy and medicinally it has many benefits. Ginger tea can aid digestion and is a lovely drink.

Ginger Beer… my mum used to make it and I have memories of the corks popping out while it was fermenting in her pantry. She used to feed the root and then pass half on to a friend a bit like we pass on our sough dough or kombucha. For so long I kept saying I am going to start a ginger beer plant as I have such happy memories and love a drink of ginger beer.I am now the proud owner of one and love it…

The true Ginger Beer Plant dates back to around the 1700s and is not actually a plant at all, instead it is a living organism. This organism forms a gelatinous cluster which moves about within its jar naturally, when used correctly it can allow you to make a lifetime’s supply of authentic, naturally fizzy alcoholic Ginger Beer that used to be commonplace in most UK households.

To get the recipe and to read the original post please click the highlighted link below…hope to see you there where Sally and Moi will give you a warm welcome…

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2022/09/14/smorgasbord-blog-magazine-carol-taylors-culinary-a-z-rewind-g-for-ginger-garlic-guacamole-goosefat-and-gribige/