spices and herbs are required to to make any dish tasty and with the right type seasoning of spices to can take the flavor of our dish to next level. one of those herb is ginger which is commonly found across the world and is used in many dishes for better flavor and aroma. but when you cant get ginger due to some reason then substitute for ginger which are shared below works best to make the your dishes taste good without compromising nutrition. you can also add ginger with mint or its alternatives in mojito drinks of various fruits including lemon to get best taste and cool down your body.
you can find it vastly used in Asian countries and it originates from Zingiber plant. it has peppery and spicy taste which can be mild and moderate depending on which type of ginger you are buying. it has unique aroma and helps to make your recipes smell and taste good.
Here i have shared some of the commonly found alternatives which can be used when you don’t have access to ginger from the nearby grocery market or your fridge.
ginger substitutes and alternatives
Jamaica peppers
They are also know as allspice. it comes in brown color from berry plant then grounded to form powder to use in various dishes and recipes. it has mild flavor with spicy and sweet traces. it works great in all kinds of recipes like soups, stews, chicken, chili etc. add 1/2 to 1 spoon at a time to get the right flavor as per your liking when replacing for ginger. you can also use white peppers if you cant get your hands on Jamaica peppers in your dishes to get peppery flavor in place of ginger.
candied ginger
Candied ginger is easy to prepare as you need to boil fresh ginger in sugar water and then sprinkle some sugar on the top of the ginger. it has sugar component added to it which makes its taste mild when compared to normal ginger. it works great if you want to add it in desserts of some kind to give it sweet and hot taste of ginger. you can also add to baked food items. for replacing ginger you need to add about 4-5 spoons of candied ginger for every 1 spoon of normal ginger for great taste in your recipes.
ground ginger
ground ginger made into fine powder can be used when you don’t have fresh ginger with you. it has similar flavor with fresh ginger but is little potent so add as per the taste preference. you can add about 0.5 spoon of ground ginger to replace 1 spoon of fresh ginger in recipes of your choice to get blended flavor of ginger in your dishes. it is mainly used in desserts, tart, pies and bread making.
mace
mace is a good substitute for ginger. it comes with good sweet flavor which will make your dishes great. mace comes from the coating of nutmeg fruit. people add mace in place of ginger in savory dishes and sweet dishes too. some people like to add in meat and chicken dishes also. you can replace in ratio of 1:1 when using mace in place of nutmeg or ginger.
mace is a good combination for all kinds of heavy dishes like non veg items including broths, meat, chicken curries, home made pickles and many more for a decent taste profile. one advice for you if you tend to use mace in your recipes is that don’t cook it for too long as it may turn bitter which will spoil the flavor profile of your food items so i would recommend that you add it when the end of recipe cooking is nearing its end to get a great tasting dish with mace in it always
when compared with nutmeg it has little stronger flavor than it which is somewhat similar to peppers with tinges of spiciness in it. it loses the flavor faster than nutmeg, just in case you would like to know.
cinnamon
Cinnamon is one of the alternative for ginger which can be used in absence of it as it has sweet and little bit spicy flavor so you need to add it in limited quantity to get best flavor of it in your food items. it comes from bark skin of the cinnamon tree and gives good aroma to your food.
you can add it in many different recipes from savory to sweet as per your liking. you can add about 1/4 spoon of cinnamon powder to your dish or 1 small stalk of bark to replace 1 spoon of ginger in recipe of your choice.
turmeric
turmeric is yet another alternative that can be used in place of ginger without any issue. it will give good yellow color along with aroma to your food with mild bitter taste. don’t eat it directly as its bitter rather add in your recipes. it is widely used in curries, chili recipes, gravy recipes and many other recipes also. it also comes with lot of health benefits as it has anti inflammatory substances in it.
you can add about 1 spoon turmeric for every one spoon ginger in your recipe for good taste.
nutmeg
nutmeg is spicy and sweet in taste and originates from nutmeg tree. it can be used as replacement for ginger in many recipes like pasta, egg rolls, rice and many other similar dishes. for replacement you can add about 1/4 spoon powder in your dishes in place of 1 spoon of ginger to get similar taste. you can adjust the quantity as per your liking to get the best taste from your recipe with nutmeg in it.
galangal
It is mainly found in south east Asian countries and can be used as replacement for ginger in many dishes. you can get taste of ginger and turmeric from galangal as it belongs to the family of ginger only. you can use it in 1:1 ratio to replace galangal in place of ginger in your dishes. you can slice them in small slices or grate them on your recipes to get its great taste.
some people also call it as holy trinity for thai food with kaffir lime and lemongrass being other 2 members of this trinity. that being said it definitely helps the tai food including thai curries, rice platters, sea food like shrimp salad, fish dishes etc. taste food overall when ginger is not an option to add in them.
It has little bit strong taste so keep the quantity small and adjust according to your taste to make your dishes favorable to eat. some people also know it by the name of Thai ginger, so if you hear this in grocery store don’t get confused and buy it to make tasty dishes when normal ginger is not to be found anywhere.
cardamom
you can also use cardamom in your dishes if you like it its taste and aroma which is somewhat minty and fruity combined. it is very distinct in aroma. it comes with lot of essential nutrients for our body and good to eat in our diet for various body issues. its small and green in color with small seeds inside it. you can add it in desserts like puddings etc. and also in savory dishes while cooking like meat curry, chicken marinade and other similar items.
although i haven’t tried it with non veg food items but some people suggest that it goes well with poultry items, chicken curries etc. its powder gives good flavor to puddings, cakes, breads and other similar desserts as i can vouch for it being tried it in many sweet bread recipes.
if you are suffering some form infection, cold, flu and similar issues then also its very helpful, you can drink tea made from crushed small green color and big brown color cardamom to get instant relief within 30-60 minutes. adding other ingredients like fennel seeds, sage leaves, basil leaves, black peppers, ginger and cinnamon will make your tea more powerful and rich with anti oxidants which will help to heal your bodies from many unwanted issues and infections at a faster rate to live a healthy and fit life with bliss all around.
ginseng
Ginseng is a root plant that can be used in place of ginger. you can get sweetness and little bit bitter taste in your dishes with ginseng. soups, stews, salads etc. taste good with ginseng in them and it also give them nutritional boast due to lot of essential nutrient elements in it. it is very popular in Japanese and chinses cuisines .
You will find iron, magnesium, vitamin a, vitamin c and many other nutrients in it. it helps to boast your body energy and keep your immune system work finely to fight unwanted diseases and infections.
Frequently asked questions
what to use in place of ginger in stir fry veggies?
best alternative to ginger for stir fry and other similar dishes would be cinnamon, nutmeg powder or allspice powder to get ginger like taste in your dishes. you can add 1/2 spoon at a time gradually tog et taste as per your liking for delicious recipes like stir fry even in absence of ginger.
can i use grounded ginger in place of fresh ginger chunks?
Yes it can be used but its far more potent in flavor and taste when compared to fresh ginger chunks, you replace 1 spoon fresh grated ginger to would require 1/4 spoon grounded ginger powder for same taste, res you can adjust the quantity as per your liking in the recipe. some people say that taste of ground and fresh ginger are different you try with small quantities and if you don’t like the taste don’t add any more and try using some other alternative to fresh ginger which appeals your taste pallet.
To make grounded ginger powder you need to dry the ginger chunks after cutting them in small pieces using a dehydrator or under sun in open area like balcony, farm land, roof top etc. once done then with the help of blended or food processor ground the ginger in fine powder. sieve it with a kitchen sifter to avoid any big pieces and leftover chunks in it. once the powder is in fine form then keep it in air tight plastic or glass container in cool dry place in pantry and use as and when require for fine quality dishes with great taste in them.
what is ginger nutrition values?
ginger is very nutritious. below i have shared simple ginger nutrition chart for normal ginger and dried ginger to help you know more about ginger nutritional data and information.
Conclusion
hope you like my collection of ginger alternatives to use in various recipes to get similar flavor in your recipes. let me know which one you like the best to replace ginger with in your dishes in comment section below. mainly its hit and try to find the right substitute for ginger for your recipes to fit perfectly for good taste that suits your taste buds. to know more about substitutes of kaffir lime leaves checkout my post related to kaffir lime leaves.
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