Ginger Grater

[Cookie Baker]

I often make hot and sour soup which calls for fresh grated ginger. Can anyone recommend a good ginger grater and where to purchase it?

[ipsedixit]

Standard chef's knife.

[rainey]

I don't grate ginger at all. I slice it, unpeeled, into thin rounds and put them in a metal garlic press. The skins will stay behind in the compartment and fine pulp and fresh juice will be released.

For anything that will be sautéed and puréed I just use thin slices and purée in the smallest amount of liquid that keeps the aromatics moving around the blades.

[Matash]

Brilliant idea which I will try next time

[tanuki soup]

I agree that Microplanes are good, but if you grate a lot of ginger, you might want to get a dedicated grater. Amazon sells a 6.5-inch Kyocera ceramic ginger grater just like folks here in Japan use for $22.71.

http://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-CD-18-6...

[Chemicalkinetics]

Soup,

Yes, I agree. A ceramic grater plate is great as well.

[Jennalynn]

I second that agree. The ceramic breaks down the fiber best. But you don't have to spend $23... if you have an Asian area in your town check that out first.

[Sam Fujisaka]

The porcelain and aluminum graters perform the same. Both are very Japanese. The aluminum one is good for both ginger and daikon, and costs a fraction of a porcelain one.

[cheesemaestro]

I have both a Microplane and a Japanese-style grater: square shape, tiny teeth, but no holes. When I use the Japanese grater, I get something closer to a puree than what I would normally call grated. Is that what I should be seeing?

[Sam Fujisaka]

Yes, that puree is what we use in Japanese cooking.

[decolady]

The Kyocera ginger grater is the one I have and I love it. For me it is easier for grating ginger than the Microplane. There is a clear silicone ring on the bottom of mine which helps hold it still on the counter when you are using it.

[Chemicalkinetics]

I agree with Grnidkjun

I think you will find microplane graters (or the kind of them) as a pleasure surprise. You can grate really fast with them and of course you can use them for multiple things beside grating.

You can find them in most kitchen stores, like Bed Bath Beyond, Williams Sonoma, or Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=s...

[ricepad]

Before I got my ceramic grater, I used my knife to mince the snot out of the ginger.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Get a light Japanese metal ginger grater. There are no holes and the grater collects all the juice and grated stuff. Any large Asian store.

[DebL]

I have one of those (inscribed Made in Occupied Japan) and it works better for ginger than any other I've ever used.

Looks basically like this: http://fantes.com/images/3399graters.jpg

[Sam Fujisaka]

That's the one! Treasure your "Made in occupied Japan" version!

[grnidkjun]

I like my microplane grater.. you can find them at just about any cookware store.

[JungMann]

I'm in agreement. I see no need for a specialty ginger grater when you can have a multipurpose microplane which works quite well.

[Sam Fujisaka]

I grate next to nothing besides ginger and diakon, So for me the Japanese grater makes more sense than the microplane.

[will47]

Also, the microplane grates everything, while the ginger grater kind of separates out the fiber and juice a little more, I think (so I think the ginger grater might give better results, but I could be wrong).

We have a cheapie plastic one that also has a peeler on it. Probably from the Chinese market and can't cost more than a couple of bucks.

[Chemicalkinetics]

Will,

Agree. Microplane cut a little better, while the ginger grater tears/splits the ginger. In term of what is considered "better", that is personal. The way I see it is that the porcelain ginger grater plate has two advantages over microplane: cheaper and safer. Unlike the microplane, you cannot seriously hurt yourself.

On the other hand, I love the mircoplane because it is just so versatile.