Not every ordinary pantry spice can claim its name comes from an ancient language. The word "ginger" derives from the Sanskrit "stringa-vera," which means "hornlike body." This antlerlike root adds a hot-sweet zing to foods including sushi and salad dressing, and a mere pinch will help yeast rise and meat tenderize.

Ginger is just as versatile outside the kitchen: For centuries, practitioners of Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine have been harnessing its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to reduce anxiety, aid digestion, and alleviate ailments such as morning sickness, arthritis, and the common cold. Such is the power of the mystical horn.

Buying tip: Fresh ginger should be plump and crisp, not shrunken or fibrous. Store unpeeled ginger in the vegetable crisper of your fridge for up to two weeks. Freeze leftovers for up to six months: Break it into 1- to 2-inch pieces and defrost as needed. Dried ginger has a warmer, more pungent flavor than fresh; don't substitute one for the other.

Here, ginger adds flavor to an antioxidant-rich black rice dish. Black rice has more antioxidants than its brown and white siblings, and is also high in fiber.

Ginger's not just for savory dishes; it can also add spice to sweet fruit desserts.

Warm up with a cup of spicy, stomach-soothing chai tea, made with cardamom, peppercorns, and ginger.

Ginger and brown sugar add subtle sweetness to this one-pot cabbage dish.

We upped the health potential of this Southern delicacy by adding beta-carotene-rich sweet potatoes, iron-packed molasses, and ginger, which helps quell inflammation.

Mushrooms and bok choy are full of antioxidants. Along with scallions, dill, ginger, and chiles, they give this soup its nuanced taste.

This recipe calls for tamari, a sauce made from soybeans that's darker and thicker than conventional soy sauce. Serve this flavorful dish with a wedge of orange for squeezing over the fish, along with a fresh green, such as watercress, for some bite.

Lentils are enlivened by coriander, ginger, mint, and cilantro. Sweet beets add lots of minerals.

Green tomatoes are simply unripe red tomatoes -- hence their lower sugar content and slightly sour taste. Charring makes them softer and easier to peel. To grill the shrimp, use 8-inch wooden skewers, which you'll find in some supermarkets and kitchen-supply stores.

This salad is elegant and pure -- and deceptively simple to prepare.

If you have never had ginger ice milk before, it will be a revelation! It's slightly sweet, somewhat peppery, and totally refreshing.

Easy to prepare and packed with nutrients, this robust, versatile gourd deserves its spot at the holiday table.

Grated fresh ginger gives the dipping sauce for this tuna a bit of zing. They may be tiny, but the sesame seeds for the tuna's coating pack a powerful nutritional punch.

Sesame seeds sprinkled over this heart-healthy salmon from nutritionist Cynthia Sass's "Cinch!" cookbook will help you feel fuller, longer.

Sweet potato and almond butter give this soup a creamy, decadent texture.