HeySolids
Choking risk
Ginger cooked into food is a low choking risk - it is a seasoning, not a piece baby eats on its own.
Grate or finely mince ginger and cook it into the dish, and never offer a chunk of raw root, which is firm and stringy. See how to serve for age-by-age prep.
Allergens
Ginger is not a common food allergen, so a true allergy to it is rare.[1]
Start with a small amount and watch for a reaction.
If baby refuses
Ginger is bold and can taste sharp in larger amounts. Pull back to a smaller pinch, cook it longer to soften the bite, and stir it into a food baby already enjoys.
How to serve
6-24 months+
A pinch, cooked into food
A small amount, grated or ground into dishes
Ginger is a flavouring, not a food on its own - a little adds warmth to purées, dals, curries, stir-fries, and fruit. Grate a small amount of fresh ginger finely, or use a pinch of dried ground ginger, and cook it into the dish. Start with a tiny amount, since the flavour is strong, and build up as baby gets used to it. There's no need to hold ginger back - it's fine from the start of solids.
How to cook
Peel fresh ginger and grate it finely or crush it so there are no fibrous strings or firm pieces, then cook it into the food. Ground dried ginger can be stirred straight in. A little goes a long way, so add gradually and taste as you go.
Tips
Keep it in the freezer and grate it straight from frozen. Fresh ginger goes soft and moldy in the fridge within a week or two, but a frozen knob keeps for months and is actually easier to grate - it turns to a fine, stringless pulp against a grater, which is exactly the texture you want for a baby, with no fibrous strings to pick out. No need to peel it first either; the skin grates away with the flesh.