That's not entirely accurate. 1.) Fresh ginger does not contain any zingerone. However, it contains the spicy-tasting substance gingerol, and when gingerol is heated during cooking/baking, it undergoes a chemical reaction that converts it to zingerone. The taste of zingerone is sweeter and less pungent than that of gingerol. This means that the harsh spiciness of fresh ginger gets mellowed out in the process of cooking it. 2.) Neither fresh nor cooked ginger contains any capsaicin. Capsaicin is unique to chili peppers. However, in terms of their chemical structure, gingerol and capsaicin are similar, but they have differences in their biological activity. Other spicy compounds that have chemical similarities to gingerol, zingerone, and capsaicin include piperine (found in black pepper) and allicin (found in garlic).
June 11, 2022 at 4:08pm
In reply to Here's another take on the… by Christopher Crawford (not verified)
That's not entirely accurate. 1.) Fresh ginger does not contain any zingerone. However, it contains the spicy-tasting substance gingerol, and when gingerol is heated during cooking/baking, it undergoes a chemical reaction that converts it to zingerone. The taste of zingerone is sweeter and less pungent than that of gingerol. This means that the harsh spiciness of fresh ginger gets mellowed out in the process of cooking it. 2.) Neither fresh nor cooked ginger contains any capsaicin. Capsaicin is unique to chili peppers. However, in terms of their chemical structure, gingerol and capsaicin are similar, but they have differences in their biological activity. Other spicy compounds that have chemical similarities to gingerol, zingerone, and capsaicin include piperine (found in black pepper) and allicin (found in garlic).