3

I want to know how to create a product that was common some decades ago. Ginger bread/cake with preserved ginger and no heat. Not just low, but none at all. And with a strong ginger flavour. Ginger flavour as entirely distinct from ginger heat. So, how can I make ginger cake with strong ginger taste and ginger pieces, but no heat?

I have tried going back to old recipe books, but nothing in there seems to make a difference - suggesting that it might even be the kind of ginger available. I did hear tell of soaking the ginger to remove the heat. But, when I tried it - it removed the flavor as well.

I give some context below - that is not strictly required for the question.

Some decades back, I liked gingerbread, chocolate ginger, and preserved ginger. Gingerbread had zero heat. My mother could bake it, her mother could bake it, I bought it frequently in the shops after I left home. I am thinking that, given the "weird suggestion" comments that it is a lost art. But, I hope that someone out there has the technique in their head.

Chocolate ginger and preserved ginger had a little heat. But over time I found that everything with ginger got hotter and hotter. Even ginger cake that I purchase today has heat. Ginger biscuits (the hard kind) have heat. And so on. I wonder how this can be avoided. I would like to bake ginger bread with strong ginger taste and no heat.

Yes, I did consider the possibility that my taste had changed. The totality of my experience on this precludes that conclusion. For example, I know that for some time I could hunt down preserved ginger without heat and I could tell the difference by looking at it.

Ponder Stibbons
  • 151
  • 5
  • 3
    Did you maybe consider that your own perception of taste has changed, rather than the ginger? – Esther Feb 13 '23 at 07:43
  • @Esther Yes, I considered that and expected this response as well. This is why I mentioned that during the transition I found that I could tell two different kinds of ginger reliably apart. One hot one not. Also, one usually becomes more rather than less able to tolerate foods of this type, but that is a side issue. Recently my sister unexpectedly bought some expensive stuff that was very nice. While my wife bought some that was so hot as to be inedible. She liked it, though - and thinks I have the wrong idea about ginger. – Ponder Stibbons Feb 13 '23 at 08:34
  • Welcome to SA! If you want a question that folks might actually answer, I strongly suggest removing the whole "in the old days" narrative, and instead focusing on just asking about how to control "heat" in ginger baked goods. You'll also need to include a sample recipe or link, because putting preserved ginger into gingerbread isn't common, and if you're making something very specific folks need to know what. – FuzzyChef Feb 13 '23 at 19:37
  • @FuzzyChef Okay, I can remove the narrative - but because of my expectation of getting that first comment - I tried to offset it. But putting preserved ginger in ginger bread was quite common decade ago - and I am not coming up with some new weird idea. I just want to know how it was done commonly in the past so that I can duplicate that. A particular recipe is entirely beside the point. – Ponder Stibbons Feb 13 '23 at 22:40
  • 2
    I'm presuming Hex gave an "out of cheese error"? They key could be age - let the ginger sit in your cupboard for 6 months or a year, so that the volatiles evaporate/oxidize to some extent. – bob1 Feb 13 '23 at 23:49
  • @bob1 Indeed, re Hex - but your suggestion is plausible. I will look into it. At least it is something to try. And anyone who groks Pratchett can't be all wrong. – Ponder Stibbons Feb 14 '23 at 10:02
  • 1
    Do you ever check the ingredients of these things? Your mention of hard ginger biscuits reminded me that many ginger baked goods also feature other spices such as pepper, cayenne or cloves, which may account for some of the heat. – Spagirl Feb 14 '23 at 17:26
  • @Spagirl Bottom line - yes I did. No, that is not it. – Ponder Stibbons Feb 15 '23 at 08:20

1 Answers1

2

The core problem here is that the pungency of ginger comes from the gingerol. If ginger is dried or mildly heated, then the gingerol is partially converted to shogaol, which is even more pungent. If it is heated to about 150 degrees Celsius, then the zingerone starts to dominate. Zingerone is not in fresh ginger (young or old) but is produced by cooking. It tastes more fruity and has no heat. Various sources suggest 150 degrees for several hours for the desired effect.

Ponder Stibbons
  • 151
  • 5