How to Mince Ginger

Peeling the Ginger

Trim the ginger. Usually ginger comes in a big piece with branches attached at odd angles. Depending on the amount of ginger that you need, you may want to take a piece from the larger part of the root, or you may just want a couple of small branches. If you are using all of the root, trim the branches, so that you can peel them separately. If a few bits of ginger skin don’t bother you, don’t trim the branches. They will not get in the way of mincing the ginger.

Use a spoon. Using a spoon is the method of peeling ginger preferred by most chefs. Using a spoon allows you to remove the paper-thin skin of the ginger, without losing too much of the meat. Use a spoon with a very thin edge. Anchor the ginger on the cutting board on its flat side (if the bottom of the ginger is bumpy, just slice it off so that you have something flat to anchor with). Then use a brisk snapping motion to tear off the ginger skin with the side of the spoon.

Use a peeler. This method will remove some of the meat of the ginger, but not as much as using a knife. Hold the ginger at the bottom, and push the peeler across the ginger, away from you. Use a big bowl to catch flying peels, or peel over your sink.

Use a knife. You will lose a lot of ginger using this method, but if you are in a rush, it will do. A small knife, such as a paring knife is best. Hold the ginger in your non-dominant hand, and use the paring knife to peel as you would an apple. Push the blade beneath the skin, and place your thumb on top of the hidden blade. Push the blade toward and past your thumb, with your thumb following the blade down the length of the ginger. Use your other hand to guide the direction of the cuts.

Mincing the Ginger Manually

Cut the ginger into “coins”. First cut along the peeled ginger so that you get “coins”, or roundish pieces. Stack these coins one or two high, then cut them into thin strips, or “matchsticks”. Then cut perpendicular to your matchstick lines, cutting them into tiny cubes. Chop over these cubes at random a few times if you want even smaller pieces.

Cut the ginger into strips. Some people prefer to cut strips along the length of the ginger, rather than “coins”. You can then cut these longer pieces into matchsticks and cubes. This method is better if you don't mind having larger pieces of ginger in your cooking.

Crush the ginger and then mince it. This method works best with a big heavy knife, like a cleaver, but a large, flat-bladed knife will also do. Cut the ginger into thick coins. Using the flat of the blade, crush the coins. They should “shatter”, leaving small pieces that are easy to mince quickly. If your knife is not heavy enough, you can place the flat of the blade on the ginger coin, and then hit it hard with your fist or palm.

Using Other Tools to Mince Ginger

Use a microplane or grater to mince the ginger. A microplane is like a very fine grater, and is often used for zesting. However, if you don’t have a microplane, a grater will work just as well. This method often produces a lot of ginger juice, so you will want to make sure to do it over a bowl or plate. Scrape the peeled ginger over the microplane or grater, occasionally collecting the pulp that collects on top and adding it to the pile. This may take awhile, but in the end you have very fine pieces of ginger that are almost like pulp, and impossible to find in your final dish.

Use a food processor. Food processors are generally better for a large amount of ginger-- too little ginger, and most of it will get stuck under the blade. Use a food processor when you want to mince an entire root. If you don’t need an entire root, but still want to use the food processor, ginger freezes quite well when wrapped in plastic. If you are cooking with frozen ginger, you don’t even need to thaw it-- the frozen water evaporates very quickly, leaving you with usable ginger.

Use a nutribullet or small blender. If you are making a dressing or marinade, you can use a strong blender to mince your ginger. Many blenders require liquid to keep from stalling the motor, so only use this method if you are making something liquid with your ginger. Loosely chop the ginger before putting it in the blender with other liquids. Be sure to blend completely. Remove the blender from the base and checking for large pieces with a fork to make sure you don’t get chunks.