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WITH its citrusy aroma and mild heat, ginger is a phenomenally versatile ingredient used in both sweet and savoury foods. This month, I have learned how to use an unexpected property of ginger to create a delicious dessert.

Ginger’s prickly flavour comes from a compound called gingerol, which has a similar structure to capsaicin, the molecule that gives heat to chilli peppers. It binds to the same receptor protein, TRPV1, in nerve endings that stimulates the sensation of heat and pain, albeit more mildly.

Preparing ginger in different ways can increase or decrease its potency by transforming gingerol into other molecules. When cooked, gingerol becomes zingerone, a molecule that activates TRPV1 more weakly and has a sweeter aroma. Drying ginger changes gingerol to shogaol – which is more akin to capsaicin – and stimulates pain receptors about twice as strongly.

Ginger has been widely used as a traditional medicine since ancient times. Several at preventing nausea and vomiting, and gingerol is thought to be the active ingredient. Research also suggests that gingerol could play a role in .

Ginger is delicious at any time of year, but in the spring, it is worth seeking out young ginger, which has pale, thin skin and pink shoots. It is more tender and juicy than mature ginger and has a milder flavour. It is ideal for making , a traditional accompaniment to sushi, consisting of thin slices of ginger pickled in rice vinegar with sugar. Some varieties of ginger turn pink in the acid, thanks to .

Apart from its pungent and aromatic flavour compounds, ginger also contains zingibain, an enzyme that digests proteins. Be aware of this if you want to use ginger to marinate meat: if it spends more than a few minutes in contact with raw ginger, meat can turn mushy. To prevent this, heat the marinade first to deactivate the enzyme or add acid, such as lime juice, to inhibit it.

, the enzyme extract used to curdle milk in cheese-making. Milk proteins called caseins are encased in particles called micelles with a hairy surface made of kappa casein. Just like chymosin in rennet, zingibain snips off the hairs, enabling micelles to stick together, coagulating the milk.

You can see this for yourself by making ginger milk curd, a Chinese dessert (this recipe is based on one from the ). Peel and finely grate the ginger, then press it in a sieve to squeeze about a tablespoon of juice into a bowl. Heat the milk with the sugar to 70°C, then add to the ginger juice. Leave it for at least 10 minutes to set into a solid curd, then serve it warm or cold.

What you need

Per serving:

30 grams ginger

200 millilitres milk

2 teaspoons sugar

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