Food Crush: This Ceramic Ginger Grater Is Genius (And Under $10)

The Ginger Grater

I'm not usually one to recommend single-purpose gadgets (though I'll admit to an obsession with mini-whisks, and the jury's still out on cherry pitters), but when associate food editor Carolyn Chua introduced me to the ceramic ginger grater — an item she considers a kitchen essential — my interest was piqued. Priced under $10, this simple Japanese tool (created to grate fibrous plants such as ginger, daikon and wasabi) turned out to be one of the best kitchen investments I've made.

Grating ginger for salad dressings, marinades or sauces is a job often left to the last minute in my kitchen, because I find it the fiddliest of tasks as ginger root is so dense and fibrous. Even when using the handy microplane for grating, the juice always slides down my fingers instead of into the bowl (and let's not forget the fear of bloody knuckles).

Now I simply rub a peeled knob of ginger (scraping the thin outer skin off with a spoon) on the sharp, ceramic nubs of this well-designed grater and the tough fibre remains in the centre while the tasty mince and juice collects in the tiny moat — making it easy to scoop into measuring spoons.

But it also does so much more — grating a whole host of other ingredients such as garlic, turmeric, parmesan, nutmeg and cinnamon. (It's also dishwasher safe!) It's especially handy when you just need a small portion (fresh cinnamon on morning oatmeal or nutmeg sprinkled on dessert), and you can also use it to grate hard cheese over buttery pasta or add a chocolate dusting to your cocoa.

As a bonus, the little ceramic dish makes an elegant decorative piece for the kitchen (Carolyn keeps hers on a little wall hook so it's always within reach).

With this little ceramic grater on hand, adding a dose of fresh ginger to an evening tea and honey (perfect when I'm feeling run-down) or my morning smoothie just went from "maybe tomorrow" to "no time like the present".

Ceramic ginger graters are available on amazon.ca or in specialty kitchen stores.

Try it:
Ginger Shrimp Brown Rice Bowl
Glazed Ginger Garlic Ribs
Honey Ginger Tofu
Gingery Ramen With Eggs
Sesame Ginger Beet Quinoa Bowl

Watch: Easiest way to peel ginger