The Top 5 Alternatives to Fresh Ginger

You may add ginger, either fresh or ground, to a wide range of foods and beverages, including cakes, cookies, hot tea, and cocktails, as well as salmon and chicken dishes. It also contains a plethora of health benefits, including as boosting immunity and alleviating inflammation and nausea. The strong, spicy flavor of fresh ginger lends an unexpected burst of flavor to any dish, whether you’re baking a delicious filet of salmon or your go-to ginger cookies.

If you do find that your supply of fresh ginger has run out, there are a few substitutes you may use without sacrificing flavor.

However, that nub of fresh ginger sitting in your refrigerator won’t stay forever. Check out our list of the top 5 fresh ginger substitutes and don’t let any of the flavor in your sweet or savory meals go to waste. If you shop for spices at home, you might even have some of our finest alternatives to fresh ginger right under your nose.

1. Ground Ginger

If you have ground ginger remaining in your spice cabinet, it works well as a substitute for fresh ginger even though you might not have any on hand for grating. When replacing fresh ginger in recipes, use ⅛ to ½ teaspoon of its powdered counterpart for every tablespoon of fresh ginger required, as ground ginger has a more concentrated flavor.

2. Allspice

Allspice is a well-liked dry spice with a somewhat spicy and sweet taste that works well in recipes instead of ground or fresh ginger. Allspice, which is made from dried berries, has the same warmth and richness of flavor as ginger and tastes like a cross between clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Use a ¼ teaspoon of allspice for every tablespoon of fresh ginger when substituting it.

3. Turmeric

Turmeric and ginger root are closely related, therefore it should come as no surprise that turmeric has anti-inflammatory qualities. While ginger has spicier overtones, turmeric has a more earthy, bitter flavor.

If you don’t have ginger on hand, you can definitely use turmeric in a 1:1 substitution to give your cuisine the flavor boost it requires. Make sure you’re comfortable with the bright yellow color that turmeric tends to impart to dishes before utilizing this substitute.

4. Mace

Though you might not be too familiar with this fragrant spice, be sure to pick up a jar of it the next time you’re in the grocery store’s spice section because, in a pinch, it works just as well as ginger. Use ¼ teaspoon of mace for every tablespoon of fresh ginger or equal amounts for ground ginger since its warm, spicy, peppery flavor goes well with sweets that call for either kind of ginger.

5. Galangal

Galangal can be hard to locate, but if you can discover it in your neighborhood Asian grocery shop, its flavor profile—which is sort of like a ginger-turmeric hybrid—makes it the greatest substitute for real ginger. If you want a stronger taste, you can substitute ground or fresh ginger 1:1 and adjust the amount accordingly because ginger has a stronger flavor.

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