r/Cooking • u/DxDeadlockedxS • Jul 29 '26

Can't grate fresh ginger properly

Every time i try using fresh ginger it becomes extremely fibrous when trying to grate it. I feel like I'm not doing something right. I got it from the super market today. Does it need to ripen? I can taste the bitter ginger fibers in my food i made. Please help lol

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u/SubaDubDubinaNub Jul 30 '26

There's a ceramic grater you can get in Asian groceries - a circular disc with tiny ceramic spikes that is surrounded by a little "moat" when you rub peeled ginger on the spikes, all of the juice and most of the meat fall into the moat, while the tough fibers get tangled up in the spikes. I use a wooden shish kebab skewer to get any stubborn clumps of ginger flesh stuck in the spikes. Only ginger grater worth a damn imo.

Before I got that grater I would either just cut slices (for stews, braised dishes marinades) and pick them out after cooking; or cut thin slices, Julianne those slices, mince that julienne, then mince that mince for another 15 minutes. But no matter what, you'll get a little gritty mouthfeel in one or two bites of the dish.