What ginger compound is responsible for the 'kick'?
Mint's minty kick mostly comes from menthol and pepper from capsaicin.
What is the equivalent dominant compound in ginger that gives it the characteristic kick?
All i can tell is it's water soluble :)
Best Answer
You can thank gingerol for the kick in fresh ginger, and shogaol and zingerone for the heat of dried ginger. Gingerol is chemically similar to capsaicin in chilis and piperine in black pepper, but undergoes changes when heated or dried converting it to the other compounds. You can see where gingerol and shogaol fall on the Scoville scale here.
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What gives ginger kick?
Chemically, gingerol is related to capsaicin, the compound that makes chillies so spicy, and piperine, a compound present in black pepper. Interestingly, some gingerol is altered when ginger is cooked and can even transform into different a different compound.Which chemical is found in ginger?
Bioactive Components. Ginger is abundant in active constituents, such as phenolic and terpene compounds [13]. The phenolic compounds in ginger are mainly gingerols, shogaols, and paradols. In fresh ginger, gingerols are the major polyphenols, such as 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, and 10-gingerol.What makes ginger spicy?
The ginger rhizome contains 1-3% essential oils and the compound "gingerol" is responsible for its pungent/hot sensation. Dried ginger is generally less spicy than fresh ginger (6).What is gingerol used for?
Since antiquity, ginger or Zingiber officinale, has been used by humans for medicinal purposes and as spice condiments to enhance flavor in cooking. Ginger contains many phenolic compounds such as gingerol, shogaol and paradol that exhibit antioxidant, anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties.Chemistry of Ginger
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Answer 2
Gingerol, named for the ginger in which it is found, are the main hot and spicy compound in ginger.
It is similar in structure to capscaicin or piperine, but is transformed in cooking into the milder zingerone.
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