Very important information if you have never cooked with ginger!

Last week I went to my favourite restaurant in Bremen and ordered a pumkin soup. Well, the Germans call it soup, I would call it purée, since it had a dense texture. Anyway, it was delicious!!! I make this soup very often at home, but it tasted much better at the restaurant. I realized it had an ingredient that I never use: ginger!

I have drunk ginger tea many times and I've read dozens of articles talking about its many healthy properties:
- antioxidant
- improves blood flow
- it stops nausea or sickness
- perfect remedy if you have a cold or sinusitis
- remedy against pain
- digestive
- fat burner
- ... wow amazing, huh?

I was so excited about this experience that on the next day I bought a huge piece of ginger and some veggies, and I run home to prepare the soup! Before I started I googled about ginger once again and read it could have a sweet but also "strong" flavour...


Ingredients: zucchini, ginger, onion, carrot, milk, cheese, salt 

I had never cooked ginger but it looks like a potato, doesn't it? (yes, the ones who DO cook with ginger are terrified, I know...) So I took a piece of ginger (4 cm long), pealed it and boiled it with a zucchini, two small onions and a carrot. It boiled during 30 minutes (yes, that long!!) and then took the water off and pureed everything together! It smelled sooo good! I couldn't wait to taste it! I added a pinch of salt, milk and creamcheese*, I took a big spoon and put a full one in my mouth! AGHHHHHHHH IT WAS DISGUSTING!!!! SOOOOOO PICANTE, SPICY, DAMNED HOT!!!!!! Was that the "strong" flavour!?!?!?! Couldn't that person write what really happens when you use too much ginger during so much cooking time????


I tried to reduce the hotness with more milk, cheese and yogurt... nothing worked. I couldn't even put it in my mouth. I had to through it away and the ones who know me are aware that I cannot stand that the food is wasted...

Now I know what can happen with ginger, and I wanted to share it with you! Next time I will try to make this soup with a smaller piece of ginger. I've also got the advice not to puree it with the other veggies, just remove it once it's boiled.

Do you have some good ginger recipes? And most important, does anyone of you know a trick to reduce the hotness of ginger???

* If you want to make this soup without ginger, you can use roquefort cheese to give it a creamy texture and an incredible and surprising taste!