How to use a ginger grater

One of the most useful gadgets in my kitchen is this small Japanese ceramic ginger grater or oroshigane.

I bought it online for less than £10 (US$15).

A Japanese grater is different from a typical western-style grater. It has small 'teeth' protruding upwards and instead of the grated material falling through holes in the grater, the grated material stays on top.

You can buy these ceramic graters with different sized and spaced 'teeth' which influences the size of the gratings. In general they produce a much finer grating than regular graters.

Traditionally, Japanese chefs used graters made from shark skin. This has many fine 'teeth' or placoid scales called dermal denticles, which give it a feel similar to sandpaper.

The Japanese-style ceramic grater is designed for grating ginger or wasabi (Japanese horseradish), but it works well for any vegetable with a similar texture, like garlic, European horseradish, or even carrots.

I use mine mainly for grating ginger in order to extract the juice.

I don't like using it to grate garlic as your fingers end up smelling and I am quite happy with my garlic press.

A ceramic grater is very easy to use. This is what you do:

1.  Cut off a small piece of fresh ginger root and rub it up and down on the ceramic teeth until it becomes a pulp

If I am doing this to extract the juice, I do not bother to remove the skin. If you want to add the pulp to your dish you will need to peel the ginger first.

2. Gently collect the pulp from the grater, hold it in your hand and squeeze it tightly over a bowl until you have removed as much of the juice as possible

You will be left with a bowl of juice and a small ball of dry pulp.

3.  Ideally, it is best to use the ginger juice immediately

Ginger contains volatile substances and you may lose some of the flavour if you store it for too long. Cover the bowl with a small plate until you are ready to use it.

4.  Ideas for using ginger juice

Wake-up drink in the morning.

Add 1 teaspoon fresh ginger juice and a slice of lemon to boiling water, allow to cool and drink first thing in the morning.

This helps to boost your immune system and stimulate your digestion ready for the rest of the day.

Ginger has anti-microbial properties so I always drink this if I feel a common cold might be developing.

Stir-fries

I love adding ginger juice to stir-fried vegetables to give them an energising, uplifting flavour.

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Beetroot, carrot, apple and ginger juice

Here is a strengthening juice to tickle your tastebuds and ward off colds, tummy bugs and hangovers.

It is rich in nutrients and phytonutrients, with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive and anti-bacterial properties.

Ingredients
1 fresh beet, with root and greens
2 carrots
1 apple
1 piece fresh root ginger (2-4 cm)

Instructions
Process all ingredients in a vegetable juicer and drink.  Super easy.

Health benefits

Beets
Beet greens are even higher in nutritional value than beetroots, as they are richer in calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C.  Beetroots are an excellent source of folic acid and a very good source of fibre, manganese and potassium.  Both beet greens and roots are a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B6.

Beetroots have long been used for medicinal purposes, particularly as they are known to stimulate the liver's detoxification processes.  The pigment that  gives beets their deep purple colour is called betacyanin and is a powerful anti-cancer agent.

Beetroot may also protect against heart disease as it has been shown to dilate blood vessels and lower diastolic blood pressure.

Carrots
Carrots provide the highest source of vitamin A carotenes of commonly consumed vegetables.  Two carrots provide roughly four times the daily reference nutrient intake of vitamin A.  Carrots also provide excellent levels of vitamin K, biotin and fibre and very good levels of vitamins C, B1 and B6, and potassium.  The antioxidant content of carrots helps to protect against chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.  Carrots also promote good vision and along with other fruit and vegetables help to protect against macular degeneration.

Apples
Apples are a good source of vitamin C, pectin and other fibres, and potassium.  Most of the apple's important nutrients are contained in its skin.  If apples are raw and unpeeled, they are also a great source of many phytonutrients, such as ellagic acid and flavonoids such as quercetin.  The old saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" has a great deal of truth in it.  In a review of various studies, apple consumption was shown consistently to be associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, asthma and type 2 diabetes, compared with other fruits and vegetables.

Root ginger
Ginger contains small quantities of vitamins such as B6 and B5, as well as minerals such as potassium, manganese, copper, and magnesium.  It has been used since ancient times for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, carminative, anti-flatulent, and anti-microbial properties. The root contains essential oils such as gingerol, zingerone, shogaol, farnesene, and small amounts of β-phelladrene, cineol, and citral.   Gingerols help improve intestinal motility and have anti-inflammatory, painkiller (analgesic), nerve soothing, anti-pyretic as well as anti-bacterial properties. Studies have shown that ginger may reduce nausea induced by chemotherapy, motion sickness or pregnancy and may help relieve migraine headache.  Zingerone, a chemical compound which gives pungent character to the ginger root, is effective against E.coli induced diarrhoea, especially in children.

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