GINGER
Ginger, or Zingiber officinale, is a very characteristic pungent root of a plant that is actually related to banana plant. The family it belongs to also features turmeric, and cardamom, to name a few. It comes from Asia, from its southern part, but it came along to Europe with the traders that knew the popularity of spices in the old continent was high. During the Middle Ages, Europeans used ginger very abundantly, not only in usual cooking, but also for making beer and ale. Today, most ginger is still produced in Asia (China, India) where it is widely used in cooking and has a pungent and citral quality. The Jamaican ginger is considered to be the finest, with more mild and sweet flavor; while the African ginger is very aggressive. In USA, lots of ginger is collected from Hawaii during the first half of the year.
The ginger root is normally used fresh, after cutting off the tough skin, and chopping or grating the inner flesh. However, ginger can also be dried, either in machine or in nature (sun rays, that is). The powdered ginger is one ingredient used in some of ginger ales and beers, and it is more pungent than the fresh ginger due to chemical changes during the drying process. In higher amounts, ginger powder can function as a thickener as it contains almost half of its weight of starch.
Ginger can be used in baking cakes, but its gelatin-digestive ability should be kept in mind when creating e.g. a ginger cake dessert covered with gelatin-containing mousse. Or even worse, adding ginger directly to a gelatin-containing liquid. The same of course, goes for other dishes that rely on gelatin.
Obviously then, the special sweet, lemony, pungent ginger aroma is usable for many kinds of dishes. You can find it in anything from sausages, to curries, to fish, to sodas! The special taste is complemented by the feeling of freshness it adds to a dish, and the scents of citrus and peppery quality suits well in many occasions. Ginger therefore goes well with chicken, pork, ham, and some fish, as well as veggies like carrots, onions, tomatoes, and pumpkin. It can also be used to flavor ice cream and rice, and of course in fruit desserts and cakes (e.g. gingerbread). When cooking with ginger, bear in mind that its pungency gives way for the citral tones during cooking, so don't get turned off by its initial aggressiveness.
When you buy ginger, choose the one that looks firm and clean (see picture above) and it should not have any moulds around it, which is common if you store it for too long. Store it in refrigerator when you don't use it.