Oops, I Don’t Like It Either

For years I have avoided cooking with ginger. I am not sure why. When I eat sushi, I love the pickled ginger that comes on the side which is a little sour and a little sweet. However, I do not particularly like ginger ale, nor do I like ginger bread. But, something came over me a week ago or so and I made a dish of pork lo mein and when the recipe called for minced ginger I bought a piece when I was out buying my ingredients. As I ate my creation later that night, I thought to myself, “wow, the flavors in this lo mein are really good”. The soy sauce mixed with the garlic and other vegetables really came together. I began to wonder if ginger was sort of like almonds, in that the extract of almonds tastes so much different from the actual nuts, that I can’t tell they are the same food. Could powdered ginger be what I have an aversion to or was there more to this story?

Having liked my lo mein so much, I set out to make it again. I was out and about shopping and found myself in Tatiana’s shop. She has taken a great interest in my conversation- even though it is all in Russian. She works near the meat shop so if I stop in for pork, she will always wave me over just to ask how I am or ask the simple questions that I am realizing more and more that I need. Simple pleasantries usually turn into a much longer conversation and she has no idea how much I appreciate her letting me use my Russian. I was buying my goods and asked if she sold ginger. I don’t know the Russian word for ginger, but I thought for sure it was a cognate. I asked a few times for jin-jer or jin-jair, but with the look on her face, I realized we were not making a connection. I explained how it was an ingredient in many Asian foods, but it wasn’t coming to her. I told her that when I found the ginger I would bring it in to show her. I pressed on and finished my shopping, eventually buying a piece of the raw root- about a thumb size. On my way home I stopped in to show Tatiana, but she had already gone for the evening. I went home to cook and the lo mein was just as good as the last time.
Today, I needed to run to the market in the morning and remembered that I promised to show her ginger. But, I decided to do her one better and bring a little for her to taste. I cut a little piece off of the leftover I had and wrapped it in Saran Wrap. I got there during her morning rush when she sells cups of instant coffee or tea to the people on their way to work. She saw me standing there, but I waited patiently for the crowd to die down. Eventually there was a lull and I reminded her that the last time we spoke I told her I would bring ginger to show her, but instead she could try some. She was not repulsed by the idea as some Ukrainians are about trying new things. Before I had wrapped it, I cut it in half so that we could both take a little bite. She looked a little excited and cautious at the same time as I extended my offering. We each took our piece at the same time and in true suicide pact fashion put them in our mouths. I bit down on mine wholly while her cautiousness paid off and she only took a little nibble. It took me all of one second to realize I had made a terrible mistake. It turns out, I have never had raw ginger in my mouth and here I was giving it to someone else to eat as if to share culinary enlightenment. It took her all of about 3 seconds to make a face like someone who just took a swig of milk from the carton only to realize that the expiration date has passed, a while ago and needed to empty their mouth. She immediately began to look for a place to spit it out and I handed her my Saran Wrap. I, on the other hand, kept chewing trying to pass off that I knew what it tasted like, all the while assuring her that it tastes totally different when cooked.
If you have never eaten raw ginger, I am assured by the “Google community” that the very strong and often bitter/biting flavor is an acquired taste. Yeah, it must be, because it was one of the worst things I have eaten in a while.
So, to Tatiana, I apologize. I will pre-screen the foods I offer from now on. Hey, at least I ate it too as I would have felt horrible to see you have that reaction and not know what the problem was. I assure you I will continue to eat pickled ginger with my sushi and cooked ginger with my lo mein. And will toss raw ginger in the pile with ginger ale and ginger bread.