There is a very common use of ginger in Indian and Chinese cuisines. If we look at Indian culture, the use of ginger in the cuisines has been there since ancient times. The taste of ginger is pungent, sweet, and spicy. It is used more as a spice than the main course. It is extremely flavorful and adds to the dishes. Almost all the non-vegetarian dishes in and around India have a pinch of ginger in it. When we talk about India, we mean the entire Indian subcontinent has the custom to use ginger in their cuisines. The use of ginger is found in Chinese cuisines as well. 

You’ll very easily find ginger in various forms in grocery shops. Starting from ginger powder, paste, chopped, dried, and picked to all the other forms of it are available in grocery shops. The portion of the plant we use is the root of the plant. However, in the discourse, we will talk about the differences between fruits and vegetables and find out if ginger is a vegetable or a fruit.

How are fruits and vegetables different from each other? Is ginger a vegetable?

The exact definition of fruit and vegetable is quite complicated to explain. There is a very common debate among people about what is fruit and what is vegetable and how they are different from each other. But there is a discourse about it and before heading to it let’s know what is fruit. The fruit grows from the flower of a plant. The single or multiple ovum of a flower eventually grows into a fruit. The portion of a plant grown in this way is always fruit. But now there may arise a question like a bottle gourd is also grown the same way or pumpkin is also a fruit. But there lies the discourse about fruit and vegetables.

Vegetables have no particular way of growing because any part of a plant could be a vegetable. The carrots and beets are roots of a plant but are eaten as a vegetable across the globe. So it depends on how the portion is consumed. If it is consumed as a part of a savory meal then it is considered to be a vegetable. It is never consumed raw but cooked, unlike fruits. Fruits are always consumed uncooked and raw. 

Is ginger a vegetable? Which group of plants does it belong to?

Ginger is considered to be a vegetable across the world but it also falls under the herb group. You cannot just cook a single dish with ginger because of its pungent and flavored taste. It is mostly used as a form of spice to add to dishes. The culinary world considers ginger to be an herb or spice in the disguise of a vegetable. Ginger has many health benefits as well. Indians often use ginger as a quick remedy for colds and coughs. They use ginger in flavored tea. So it has a wide range of users throughout the world. Ginger is more used as a form of spice to add up to the recipe. It gives immense flavor to the recipe. Ginger can be eaten in many forms. 

Is ginger a vegetable? How does it matter?

Any portion of a plant can be considered a vegetable if consumed as a part of savory meals. Just like carrots, drumsticks, beet, onions, and potatoes ginger is also a vegetable that is used in the form of spice. It is a very popular herb across China and India. Most Indian dishes have a subtle or prominent flavor of ginger in it. 

This discourse can give us some information but it does not change any idea about ginger. 

Summary

The taste of ginger is pungent, sweet, and spicy. It is used more as a spice than the main course. It is extremely flavorful and adds to the dishes. Almost all the non-vegetarian dishes in and around India have a pinch of ginger in it. When we talk about India, we mean the entire Indian subcontinent has the custom to use ginger in their cuisines. The use of ginger is found in Chinese cuisines as well. Ginger is considered to be a vegetable across the world but it also falls under the herb group. You cannot just cook a single dish with ginger because of its pungent and flavored taste. It is mostly used as a form of spice to add to dishes. The culinary world considers ginger to be an herb or spice in the disguise of a vegetable. Ginger has many health benefits as well. Indians often use ginger as a quick remedy for colds and coughs.

Read More: How to Dye Clothes with Food Coloring? Easy Steps