The Viral Recipe That Has Us Rushing to the Store to Buy Ginger

I have a complex relationship with fall flavors. I detest pumpkin spice and I'm not sorry to Big Pumpkin. Both cooked fruit and pie (all types and kinds) give me agita. Thankfully, when the weather starts to turn I lean into a stellar ingredient that sings of fall [like Taylor Swift singing All Too Well (10 Minute Version)]: fresh ginger.

Adding a bit of fresh ginger to recipes boosts flavor and nutrition (ginger is often considered a natural remedy for fighting germs and inflammation, due to its antibiotic properties). I'm all about adding fresh ginger to honey tea , pickles and of course, gingerbread , a holiday dessert classic . But zingy, creamy, easy ginger milk pudding is my favorite way to enjoy all the wonderful aspects of ginger. It's ideal for anyone who already loves creamy desserts and you only need three ingredients and 15 minutes to make it.

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What is Ginger Pudding?

Ginger milk curd or ginger pudding is an ancient and very popular Cantonese dessert. If you translate the Chinese name of the dish, it means "ginger juice bumping into milk" which is an apt and poetic way of describing the short and sweet method. All you do is pour hot whole milk over ginger juice, let it sit and boom, you've got a bowl of creamy, silky ginger pudding. The magic comes from the fresh ginger juice, which contains an enzyme called zingibain that reacts with dairy and thickens the milk into pudding.

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How to Make Ginger Pudding

To make one serving of ginger pudding, you'll need one hand of fresh ginger (that's one of those hand-sized clumps of ginger root), 1 cup of whole milk and 2 teaspoons granulated sugar. First, grate the ginger and press it through a cheesecloth or strainer to extract 1 tablespoon of ginger juice. Transfer the ginger juice to a small bowl (keep in mind that you will be adding a cup of milk to the bowl so it shouldn't be too small).

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Gently warm the milk and sugar over medium-low until the sugar dissolves and the milk is warm but not boiling. Pour the milk into the bowl with the ginger juice. Let the mixture sit until the pudding is set, about 10 minutes. Resist the urge to stir the mixture or jiggle the bowl because any movement can prevent the curdling needed for the pudding to form. You can eat the ginger pudding warm or chill it—it's delicious both ways.

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