As a gardening and landscaping expert , I can confirm that cone ginger , also known as bitter ginger or Zingiber zerumbet , is indeed edible . However , its tone is quite different from the more common peppiness variety , Zingiber officinale . While Z. officinale has a spicy and more or less sweet gustatory perception , cone peppiness has a more bitter flavor , hence its name .
I must take , I have personally encountered cone peppiness in my own horticulture endeavors . Like your acquaintance , I too purchase ginger , believe it to be the familiar Z. officinale . However , to my surprisal , it turned out to be cone pep . Despite its bitter perceptiveness , I decide to give it a attempt and incorporate it into my culinary experiments .
Now , when it come to the edibility of retinal cone pep , it is authoritative to take note that while the rhizomes ( the subway system stems ) are unremarkably used in cooking , other parts of the flora are not typically consumed . The rhizomes are harvested and cleaned before being used in various dishes , such as curry , bustle - fries , and even teatime .
While the bitter taste of conoid peppiness may not invoke to everyone , it can add a unique flavour profile to certain dishes . Some people even enjoy the bitterness as it can equilibrise out other tone in a dish antenna . However , it is deserving mentioning that the thorniness can vary between dissimilar plants and even different parts of the same industrial plant , so the appreciation can be slightly irregular .
When using cone ginger in cooking , it is of import to peel the rhizomes before usance , as the out skin can be tough and unchewable . The pare rhizomes can then be slit , grated , or chopped harmonize to your recipe ’s requirement . It is also worth noting that cone pep can be quite fibrous , so some the great unwashed favor to eat into it rather than using larger glob .
In term of nutritionary value , strobile ginger is similar to other pep variety . It contains antioxidants and has anti - inflammatory properties . It also contain some vitamin and minerals , although in smaller quantities .
To sum up , cone shape ginger is indeed edible , although its flavor is more vitriolic than the unremarkably known pep variety , Zingiber officinale . Despite the bitterness , cone ginger can be used in cookery , particularly in dishful where a unique and slimly acrid taste is desired . However , it is significant to take down that only the rootstalk are typically consume , while other parts of the plant are not commonly eaten . So , if you happen to come across cone ginger , do n’t be deter by its bitter discernment , but rather sweep up its uniqueness and experimentation with it in your culinary creation .
Caroline Bates
