An essential flavor of Chinese cooking, ginger is of inestimable importance to Asian dishes. Fresh ginger resembles a thick, knobby root with pale brown skin and moist gold flesh. Whether ginger should be sliced, minced or grated depends on the dish. For stir-fry, ginger is best minced or chopped by hand. Unless the root is extremely firm, a food processor spoils the texture of the flesh and separates the juice from the fiber.
Some recipes call for smashing ginger to release the juice into a marinade.
To smash ginger, place the knife flat atop the ginger and then pound the flat blade with your fist. Recipes made with grated ginger require an Asian bamboo or porcelain grater, which rakes the flesh off the fibers, or else the finest side of a box grater. When selecting fresh ginger, choose crisp, hard pieces that snap cleanly and easily. Fresh ginger will keep for a week or more in the crisper section of the refrigerator. For longer storage, wrap in paper towel and store in a plastic bag.