# How comparable is fresh turmeric to fresh ginger root in recipes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [January 16, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689 "2021-01-16T18:54:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/1 "2021-01-16T18:54:59Z")
Fresh ginger root is pretty much a cooking staple for me, since I make a lot of stir frys and such. But the stupid Kroger I shop at was fresh out. They did have plenty of its weird-looking cousin, fresh turmeric root, however. So I thought i’d give it a try. But I’ve never used fresh turmeric root, only powdered. How much different would fresh turmeric be than ginger in say, a garden variety weekday stir-fry: chicken & mixed veg, sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce…and turmeric. I’m sure it wouldn’t be terrible, but would the turmeric give it a completely different flavor? Would it be overpowering if I used too much? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/2 "2021-01-16T19:09:34Z")
Very different flavor. It doesn’t resemble ginger at all taste wise. It’s much more earthy. I mean, if you taste dried turmeric, you have a good idea of what it tastes like. I have used it in Southeast Asian stir fry type dishes, pounded to a paste with other aromatics, often including ginger. It’s not a straight substitute, though, and not everyone likes it. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/3 "2021-01-16T20:19:09Z")
Hm, suspected as much, thanks @pulykamell. Suppose I could peel, chop, freeze in batches and use it in the occasional curry. And yes, I’m familiar with the taste of powdered turmeric, but powdered ginger is quite a bit different than fresh ginger, to me at least. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/4 "2021-01-16T21:48:36Z")
> [@solost](#): > > And yes, I’m familiar with the taste of powdered turmeric, but powdered ginger is quite a bit different than fresh ginger, to me at least. I mean, powdered ginger and fresh ginger are somewhat different, but they’re both unmistakably ginger. Fresh turmeric is kind of the same in its relation to powered turmeric. It’s a little “brighter” in its fresh form, but the same underlying flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/5 "2021-01-16T21:59:46Z")
Yep, I’d agree that turmeric root would not be a good replacement for root ginger, as the flavour’s quite dissimilar. Turmeric root is lovely in curries though, and you can use quite a bit compared to powdered as it actually has quite a sweetness as opposed to the bitterness of the powder. When defrosted from frozen, the root becomes easier to peel I find - if still ludicrously staining! The replacement for ginger root which springs to mind is ‘galangal’ - like a cross between ginger and lemongrass. Though I found the roots go bad much quicker than ginger, so watch that. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/6 "2021-01-16T23:08:16Z")
> [@Staggerlee](#): > > The replacement for ginger root which springs to mind is ‘galangal’ - like a cross between ginger and lemongrass. Though I found the roots go bad much quicker than ginger, so watch that. Thanks, I’ll keep an eye out for galangal next time I shop at the nearby Asian grocery! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/7 "2021-01-17T00:21:25Z")
Nutmeg or cinnamon can be a not terrible substitute for ginger in some dishes. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/8 "2021-01-17T04:22:51Z")
DO NOT substitute turmeric for ginger. Just don’t. They aren’t even in the same universe, flavor-wise. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/9 "2021-01-17T06:09:21Z")
I use fresh turmeric a lot. As others have said, it’s nothing like ginger. It makes a nice tea infusion. I like the taste much more than dry turmeric. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/10 "2021-01-17T15:04:38Z")
I was going to mention galangal. That certainly is more ginger like, although still very distinct. I find it very herbal and maybe even piney or peppery compared to ginger. I use it a lot when I make Thai dishes, as it is an essential ingredient in a lot of their curry pastes and dishes like tom kha gai (the cocunut chicken soup that is popular. “Kha” there means “galangal.”) I would not call them substitutes for each other, but they are likely to work, if not produce a different tasting end product. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/11 "2021-01-17T15:14:13Z")
I find fresh turmeric’s recent popularity and wide availability so interesting. As of the last five or so years, I’ve been able to find fresh turmeric at almost every supermarket near my house. Twenty years ago, I didn’t even know what fresh turmeric looked like. I think it was a Saveur article on Malaysian food where I first saw pictures and recipes of it. I had to go all the way to the other side of town to find it, at the southeast Asian grocery stores near Argyle and Broadway. Now, the store half mile from me has probably twenty pounds of it on sale at any given time. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/12 "2021-01-17T15:20:59Z")
Thinking I’ll make a nice chicken curry tonight, using my fresh turmeric. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/13 "2021-01-17T15:24:03Z")
Turmeric chicken is excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/14 "2021-01-17T15:28:37Z")
Turmeric root and powder are not quite the same. Almost any ground spice will not taste as fresh or vibrant as its source as time marches on. The flavour of ginger and turmeric differ. Although one might use both in soups - one could substitute only if the ginger is not a prominent part of the recipe (as in cookies, cake, Asian beef dishes or some vegetable soups). I sometimes do substitute turmeric since the curcuminoids are healthy - hence the popularity. But only in some dishes, and I often use both. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/15 "2021-01-17T18:05:33Z")
That would certainly work well. What I do with fresh turmeric is use it to make a Thai-inspired stir fry. I whoosh it in the food processor with garlic, shallots (or onion), chile peppers, ginger (which I know you don’t have). Then I stir fry this paste in oil until fragrant, and proceed with a normal stir-fry, using oyster sauce and fish sauce as my liquids. There’s a Thai/Laotian restaurant a couple miles away that makes a wonderful dish they call “beef pad khamin” that I took this inspiration from (“khamin” being the Thai word for turmeric.) I’ve never been able to find a recipe online for it, so I improvise it at home sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/16 "2021-01-17T18:16:27Z")
In a pinch, you can buy tubes of grated raw ginger (like Hell’s toothpaste) online. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/17 "2021-01-17T18:27:44Z")
I keep crystalized ginger in the fridge. It’s sugar cured ginger, lasts foreverish, and I find at a low price constantly. It can be rehydrated can shaved, and I use it often in Thai dishes where the sugar is welcome. In a seasoning mix the powdered stuff suffices as a reminder of the flavor, ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparable-is-fresh-turmeric-to-fresh-ginger-root-in-recipes/930689/18 "2021-01-17T22:45:37Z")
I decided against a chicken curry because I made a spicy chicken gumbo for Saturday night dinner, and I didn’t feel like chicken again. So I made a variation of this, using the fresh turmeric. It turned out great! > **[Thai Ground Beef Curry](https://myheartbeets.com/thai-ground-beef-curry/)** > > This Thai ground beef curry is so, so good! It’s a bit similar to an Indian recipe that I make often called keema. Keema is a South Asian minced meat dish and is usually made with peas or potatoes. Well, THIS is the Thai version of keema, only with...