Ginger is a root rooted in tradition. Like its siblings turmeric, cardamom and galangal, ginger has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that have made it a medicinal staple and kitchen essential for thousands of years.

From cookies to curries and everything in between, ginger is enjoyed in countless dishes around the world. This gnarly root can be cooked, baked, puréed, juiced, candied, pickled, boiled, or dried and ground into a spice.

Ginger comes in just about every shape you can imagine, which makes peeling the skin a little trickier than your standard potato or carrot. A potato peeler doesn’t fare well against its knobbly nooks and crannies, and a knife leaves a needless amount of spicy flesh behind on the cutting board. So what’s a chef to do?

Open your cutlery drawer and pull out a spoon. Yes, a spoon! Although the outside looks tough and menacing, ginger skin is fairly thin and easy to scrape off with the edge of a spoon. So grab that knob of ginger and scrape away until all the skin has been removed. Easy, right? And not an ounce of ginger wasted. When it comes to peeling ginger, nobody does it better than the humble spoon.

Ready your spoon for Ginger-Soy Poached Cod with Green Beans, Bok Choy & Jasmine Rice — the perfect chance to try out your newfound knowledge!