The shapes are particularly interesting, almost fractal-like. Each ginger is unique in shape and form. If you look closely you might even see faces or objects in the ginger. You can buy ginger both fresh and as a dried powder. Fresh ginger resembles a thick knobby root but is in fact not a root, but rather a kind of thick underground stem called a rhizome.
Fresh ginger has a thin, pale brown skin and moist, pale gold flesh.
It has a slightly pungent, slightly hot flavor and a lively, fresh aroma. Powdered ginger has a hot-sweet flavor and is used as a spice for such things as gingerbread and pumpkin pie. Its taste is only vaguely similar to fresh ginger, so the two are not interchangeable. When choosing fresh ginger, look for extremely hard rhizomes that snap easily into pieces. Avoid dry, shriveled stems that feel light for their size.