[OT] ?? for Cooks:

Are you talking about the usual sort of ginger - "rhizoma zingiberis"

- or some other plant? If something else, more hints, please, as to what it really is, are needed.

If the usual ginger is what you seek - and its pungency can vary greatly from rhizome to rhizome - it is easy to grow your own from any decent, plump chunk of ginger with "eyes" that you can find in a produce market.

If you are in a warm climate, stick it in the dirt, if in a cooler clime, it is easily pot-grown. When you want to use some, reach into the dirt, fetch it up, cut off what you need and re-bury the rest. Makes a pretty plant, too.

General info here:

eBay might be a good source for you.

You are seeking what I would call "fresh ginger" - the skin appears more shiny and almost has some pink in it, rather than looking quite beige with a rougher skin. It usually has a green stem or two.

Still, you will find that the spiciness is unpredictable. Almost like buying jalapenos - some are quite mild and others will make cartoon steam come out of your ears.