Sweet and Sour Pickled Young Ginger

Why people make this dish

There is an old Chinese saying: “In winter eat radish, in summer eat ginger — and you need no doctor’s prescription.” Ginger truly is one of the most versatile wellness foods in the Chinese kitchen. Young ginger — sometimes called “baby ginger” or zi jiang — comes to market in early summer and has a delicate, slightly sweet flavour and crisp texture quite different from the fiery intensity of old ginger. Traditional food-therapy distinguishes between the two: old ginger is better for expelling cold, while young ginger is particularly prized for clearing internal dampness. Hong Kong summers, though hot, mean that many people spend most of the day in heavily air-conditioned spaces — and long exposure to cold air can cause the body to feel sluggish and waterlogged. A few slices of sweet-and-sour pickled young ginger before a meal is a time-honoured way to wake up the digestive system and clear that heavy feeling.

The active compounds in ginger — the gingerols — have antioxidant properties stronger than vitamin E. Young ginger has somewhat lower gingerol concentrations than old ginger, but its mild, crisp flesh means you can eat much more of it, so the total intake ends up comparable. Either way, the pickling process brings out the best of young ginger while making it a pleasure to eat.