Ginger, Pumpkin & ice cream

You know, I just read that title and thought  whoa!  That sounds yummy if you take the & out of it, and I just might.

We’ve been on a nut/hemp milk ice cream kick here. Why? Well, I learned how easy it is to make of course!  I’m lactose intolerant, and I don’t really care about dairy very much except for ice cream. I’d given it up as really bad for me health-wise and even worse for me and the people nearby intestine-wise.

The wonderful Starla showed me how to make a batch of raspberry chocolate ice cream out of coconut milk and almond milk, a little agave, and arrowroot to thicken it.  One dip of the finger in the gelato maker to sample it when it was frozen made a believer out of me.

Since then, we’ve made banana ice cream, vanilla bean, blackberry, raspberry.  Hey, it was a long Labor Day weekend.  My finest creation was the ginger-peach-lemon ice cream.  I was going to steep the ginger in the coconut milk, but then I just wasn’t sure if I had enough ginger flavor, so I threw it all in the blender without straining it out.  Well.  I mean, I love ginger, so a really pungent ginger ice cream is amazing for me.  Yes, there will be a pumpkin ice cream, but it’s going to involve some nutmeg, ginger and vanilla bean.  Then there is the fresh pumpkin pie I need to make first with a cashew cream and all of those spices to provide the filling.  No, I haven’t found that recipe yet, but I’m looking!  If anyone has a vegan gluten free pumpkin pie recipe for me, hit the Contact Us over on the left!!!

But let’s get back to ginger. I adore the smell of ginger. I happily will chop it forever, sometimes mincing it finely far longer than it needs to be minced just to get the smell of it on my hands so they can smell like that until I have to wash them again.  So not the least of my pleasure when I cook with ginger is the smell of it scenting my house. In the wintertime, I boil ginger to make ginger water, then add lemon and honey for the best hot drink in the world (hey, India, thanks for that!). I’m not sure whether it’s the smell or the taste or both.  And why did nobody ever tell me about a dark and stormy?  Ginger beer (basically ginger water, lemon and honey) and rum.

But where is all the ginger in perfume? I know a lot of scents have it in minor ways.   I’m thinking of a couple that have it fairly noticeably – Jo Malone Nutmeg & Ginger, which I forgot how much I liked until I drug it out to sniff it for this post and what?  Bois des Iles has some, but not enough to make me think ginger for long.  Serge Gingembre, yeah, but it’s a little dark for me, and I love that gut-punching spicy lightness of ginger.  I know there has to be more, so help a girl out. What are some really great ginger perfumes? I read Burberry Brit Red has ginger in it, along with Dzing, Tea for Two, and I know they do, but I need to go resniff because they don’t strike me as being ginger-dominant, which is what I want, a ginger-dominant perfume.

Ideas on ginger-prominent perfumes?  I’ll make it worth your while and will pull two commenters out, and will send them a sampler pack of the best recommendations of ginger perfumes that I actually have once I judge them to be ginger-worthy.

  • Janet says:

    I wish I could find a Dark and Stormy perfume! A sweetish rum and ginger scent sound wonderful to me.

    Like this and Tea for Two just don’t have enough ginger. Origins sounds good.

  • Nina Z says:

    I’m late to this party, so I’m going to repeat a few and then see if I can come up with something new. That Origins Ginger body cream is gorgeous, I have to say, and is enough to perfume you (after moisturizing you). I used to use it on a regular basis. These days I also like Like This and 5 O’Clock. A perfume that I find gingery that I don’t think anyone else has mentioned is The Different Company Bergamote, a gingery citrus scent that is very refreshing and surprisingly long lasting.

  • mariekel says:

    Forgot to mention Gucci Envy for Men — good wallop of ginger in there, too.

  • Sue says:

    Wow, those ice creams sound amazing!

    I am likewise a ginger lover. Bois des Iles is my favorite perfume with ginger in it, though it’s equally about that gorgeous sandalwood drydown. But I agree it’s more gingerbread than fresh, zingy ginger.

    For that, I second the recommendations for Hermes Un Jardin Apres La Mousson and Origins Ginger, and add L’Artisan Coeur de Vetiver Sacre – fresh ginger offset by crisp tea and grassy vetiver – and Demeter Fresh Ginger, which while not long lasting, does what it says on the label. I’m looking forward to your finds – best of luck in finding the perfect ginger!

  • Jen says:

    I’ll echo those that said Origins Ginger Essence.
    Also, +1 for Jacomo Art Collection #8, which is perfect for autumn.
    And I’ll throw into the mix Angel Schlesser’s Esprit de Gingembre pour femme… a citrusy ginger, very crisp and refreshing.

  • mariekel says:

    DSH has a fresh ginger and a dried ginger — Gingembre and Indochine (can’t remember which is which). Also, Shanghai by Lentheric — discontinued but not difficult to get hold of and usually fairly cheap — is a very gingery floral. Very pretty indeed.

  • pat says:

    Sake by Fresh has ginger in the top notes. Supposedly there is ginger in Feminite du Bois also, although I don’t detect it myself.

  • Johanna says:

    Have you tried ginger essential oil? Neals Yard is a great supplier of essential oils in the UK (I’m not working for them!) and their website says it blends well with myrhh and juniper, which I think would smell pretty good in autumn.

  • Homura-chan says:

    Byredo’s Chembur has a good ginger up front and dries into a nice spiced, peppery incense. I believe they’ve changed the name recently.

    I also really like SL 5 O’Clock Au Gingembre for ginger, and I second the comments above for Gucci Envy for Men and Like This.

    YSL L’Homme Cologne Gingembre is supposed to be quite nice, haven’t smelled it yet.

  • AnnieA says:

    My mum still mourns Avon’s long-defunct ginger-scented bubble bath.

    • mariekel says:

      YES! And I mourn the loss of Avon Lemon Velvet bath foam! I caught a whiff of it in the dregs of an old Avon bottle i saw in a thrift shop and it gave me a pang.

  • Fleur de lys says:

    Mainstream but lovely nonetheless – though gone after an hour or two- is Hermes Jardin apres la mousson, which has lovely cardemon and ginger notes, very summery and fresh. For fall and winter I love Pacifica’s Tibetan Mountain Temple, more like a gingerbread note, which has the additional benefit of being very affordable

  • Lavanya says:

    ooh- I need to make some almond milk sometime (I bought some cheese cloth in lieu of a nut milk bag)..Yesterday, I had a delicious raw eggplant manicotti (with eggplant instead of pasta)..I didn’t think i’d like it but oh- my! was it good! Your icecreams sound fabulously yummy!!!

    I love fresh ginger and use it heavily in cooking – especially love it in sweet and spicy Indian ‘chaat’ food and in drinks like “jal Jeera’. One of my neighbours, growing up, used to make this amazing tongue-tingling ginger candy that tasted great..ahh- ginger!..:D

    There was a little bit of ginger in Aftelier’s Tango, but it was more an accent to the darker notes- so might not be recognizably ‘fresh ginger’..Haven’t smell too many ginger perfumes, though..

  • Julie says:

    I get lots of ginger (and very little vetiver) from L’artisan Coeur de Vetiver Sacre.

  • dremybluz says:

    completely agree with Origins Essence recommendations. please enter me in the draw.

  • HemlockSillage says:

    Completely agree on the Origins Ginger Essence recommendations. It is a pretty, lemony, sweet ginger, and very easy to wear.

    An odd thought would be Dior Homme Sport–definite ginger notes, and I thought it was lovely. Certainly a more bracing, hot ginger than most other gingers that head into gourmand sweet stewed fruits territory. Those can be fun, too, but I was looking for more of the pepper hot ginger bite.

    Bvlgari’s Omnia, the original, not the flankers, also has a great ginger note. I still love and wear that one; found it and the Origins ginger even before my full perfumania struck. I went through a big ginger phase and searched for stronger ginger fragrances. I tend to explore notes–this summer I’ve perseverated on orangeblossom/neroli/petitgrain. Thanks for reminding me of things I love, but have left in the back of the perfume cabinet. Be well.

  • Daniele R. says:

    I was going to suggest Like This because I think it’s the most ‘ginger’ perfume I own, but that’s actually quite sad because it doesn’t really scream ginger to me in the way that I’d like it to. I have a sample of Montale’s Ginger Musk but I found it far too heavy on the musk and too light on the ginger. I’m going to try to hunt down some of the other suggestions though; this post really has me craving the spicy bite of fresh ginger.

  • FragrantWitch says:

    You have now made me hungry! Those ice creams sound fab and I will have to get experimenting. You might want to check out the Snog: Healthy Treats cookbook- they have an Apricot Cardamom
    Ice Cream which is delish! Also lots of other goodies,including a Raw Chocolate Avocado ‘Cake’. Mmmm…
    Back on topic, I also love the Origins Ginger Essence, an easy no- brainer on days you feel a bit under the weather. The Jo Malone you mentioned is great as well. I have a friend from Mumbai who uses ginger water as a body spray, she also boils some lemon and clove with it, strains cools and away she goes. I’ve made notes on all the other yummy suggestions!

  • Lisa D says:

    Has anyone tried Roger & Gallet Gingembre? It comes in umpteen forms (fragrance, soap and body products) and is, best of all, inexpensive. Makes a fantastic room spray.

  • maggiecat says:

    I’ll echo the Origins ginger recommendations – the body souffle is lovely. I adore ginger as a scent and flavor, but haven’t been drawn to it as aperfume note, but now you’ve got me thinking…

  • ggperfume says:

    Not a perfume, but a lip balm: Kiss My Face (SPF 15?) clear lip balm, the ginger-and-mango variety. Beaucoup ginger.

  • Rappleyea says:

    My only contribution is the Yosh Han Ginger Ciao, but thank you for reminding me that I’ve wanted to try the SL ginger forever! I just added it to my TPC cart.

    • Rappleyea says:

      I also meant to say that we’ve always used lime in a Dark and Stormy rather than lemon. You might give it a try. And dark rum – you knew that, right?

  • Vasily says:

    The only frags I’ve tried with ginger notes are Jo Malone’s Nutmeg and Ginger, and SL’s Gingembre. Unfortunately, nutmeg in perfumes smells harsh and chemical to me, so I find the Jo Malone unwearable. I have the same reaction to cardamon in perfume, which is odd, since it’s my favorite spice. Makes me kind of sad, too. Gingembre, on the other hand … I love that SL take on ginger and it’s on my decant-worthy list, but then I like my gingerbread and ginger ale dark and deep with flavor. For you ginger lovers, here’s my favorite gingerbread recipe:

    http://moveablefeastscookbook.blogspot.com/2009/10/tales-of-gingerbread.html

    …and my favorite ginger ale:

    http://www.blenheimgingerale.com/

  • LindaB says:

    I love the Origins Ginger Essence, especially in Fall. It actually feels warming on the skin (if you use the body cream) like when you eat ginger and it warms the belly. Go Ginger! Please enter me in the draw…I’m a ginger freak too!

  • tania says:

    I think the Origins Ginger Essence smells exactly like McVities Ginger Cake (which I guess only fellow Brits will know about). Anyway, I find it too foodie for me.

    How about Ginger, by Lush? They describe it as ‘a crisp and true ginger, not gingerbread’. It also has rose and jasmine. It’s my favourite ginger scent by a mile.

  • Calypso says:

    Jacomo Art Collection #08, featuring ginger, cardamom, and black tea. Yummy and refreshing, not heavy.

  • monkeytoe says:

    Gucci Envy for Men, Pacifica Tibetan Mountain Temple (I think the spray is more ginger), Dior Homme Sport, Pink Eau de parfum by Nanadebary, and Perlier Zenzero con Mandarino body stuff all have varying degrees of gingerosity.

  • springpansy says:

    DSH Indochine and Gingembre. Both beautiful- Gingembre is a bit deeper, more oriental, wintery. Indochine, lighter w/a citrus-ginger kick.

  • DinaC says:

    Like several people above, I’ve heard of the Origins Ginger Essence. A friend of mine wears it and recommends it. That’s interesting that Bois des Iles has it; I guess I’m so enamored with the sandalwood that I never noticed the other notes. I’ll try to pick it out next time I wear it.

  • dinazad says:

    Seconding Eau de Sisley 3 – for me, it’s the best ginger perfume there is!

  • Kirsten says:

    Second the Tilda Swinton like this. Also Burberry Sport for men has a nice dash of ginger. I know it’s a bit mainstream but smells lovely on my hubby.

  • Meg says:

    I’dole D’armani. Your favourite ;)

  • Gwyneth says:

    My favorite Ginger prominent perfume is Femme Jolie by Sonoma Scent Studios. It is a wonderfully woody and bright ginger. I ran out of it about a year ago and couldn’t find it on the SSS site. I wrote to the perfumer, Laurie Erickson, who told me she still had the recipe and could make more. I ordered some right away! AND the matching lotion is to-die-for!

    2nd the recommendation of the Origins Ginger.

    I love Ginger to smell, to eat, and to wear. What’s not to like, right?

    • Ann C says:

      I love SSS Femme Jolie, too. I’m going to have to root around for my bottle. it’s cool & rainy here today so I think Femme Jolie would be perfect. I’ll have to try some of the lotion–it might be beautiful!

  • Jared says:

    How about ElDO’s Tilda Swinton Like This?

  • Origins has a ginger souffle body cream and a spray. It’s not the nostril-clearing ginger you may require, but it is ginger all the way. Lasts, too, and layers well with others. Illuminum makes a ginger pear, which is a bit sweet. Humiecki and Graf makes Askew, which has a ginger blast in it.

  • Joanna says:

    I’m a ginger freak, (Has nothing to do with being married to a ginger or having 2 ginger children. Just worked out that way.)I’ve amassed quite an assortment of ginger scent samples from TPC a few of my favorites thus far:
    *profumo Hindu Kush and Chilum
    *Montale Ginger Musk
    *Comptoir Sud Pacifique India Bravo
    *Miller et Bertaux #2 Spiritus land
    *Annick Goutal Mandragore
    *Marc Jacobs Cocktail Splash Ginger
    *Demeter Fresh Ginger Cologne

    Aside from fragrances though, have you ever tried Fresh Ginger Ale by Bruce Cost? It’s amazing, intensely ginger, completely unlike commercial ginger ale. It’s unfiltered and made entirely from fresh ginger, lots of fresh ginger, and sugar cane. I’m a little bit addicted not only to drinking it but I also use it for cooking a lot too. The Jasmine Tea variety is my favorite.

    • Furriner says:

      I second the Mandragore. I love the smell of fresh ginger.

      • Joanna says:

        Furriner, I’m glad to have someone second Mandragore. It doesn’t get much love over at Lucky Scent but I really quite like it.

        DSH makes a really nice ginger scent called Indochine. I like it more than her other scent Gingembre, (Although I don’t dislike Gingembre at all.) The ginger in Indochine really shines on me and holds out through the top and middle notes. I almost didn’t order it because it has white ginger listed in the notes which usually produces an insta-migraine for me but it plays nice in this instance.

      • mariekel says:

        Me, too! though i don’t reallyget it in Mandragore, much as I love it.

  • K.R. says:

    What about Yosh Han’s Ginger Ciao parfum or Origin’s Ginger Essence or the ginger bath stuff that doesn’t bubble very well? Doesn’t Chris Broysius have a gingembre or ginger cookie during the holidays? Seems like it’s in Le Labo Iris 39. However, my recollections may not be particularly reliable as I’m currently in a 94 degree kitchen making a devilishly fragrant jammy thing with little tomatoes, sugar and ginger. Adore the stuff.

    • Musette says:

      what is this ‘devilishly fragrant jammy thing’? I have way too many tomatoes, am sick of making pasta sauce and chili for the winter and adore ginger (and have a bunch of root left over from my manic Thai green curry). I NEED this recipe!

      xo>-)

      • K.R. says:

        Why sure.

        1 pound Sungold, cherry or pear tomatoes cut in half.
        1/2 cup granulated sugar
        2/3 cup water
        1 tablespoon peeled and grated ginger (except I really put in 3 tablespoons ginger)
        pinch salt/couple grinds good pepper (I also added some cardamom and verbena syrup to a batch)
        Put it all in nonreactive pot and bring to simmer. Reduce heat so low that tiny bubbles percolate to the surface. Simmer away until tomatoes are tender but still hold shape, about 10 minutes. Take out tomatoes with a slotted spoon and put in containers. Boil the liquid until thick and syrupy, skimming off foam and licking the spoon. Pour syrup on tomatoes, cool and pop in fridge. Should keep at least two weeks. I tried freezing some..regrettable results. Instead, I’m halving the tomatoes and making more later.

  • Cooper says:

    Eau De Sisley 3 Perfume has ginger in it’s notes

  • Jennifer says:

    I’ve heard that Bulgari Blu,and Blu Notte (also spelled Blv) have ginger in them .Also John Varvatos Artisian (watched a review- very orangy according to Marc) but it has THREE types of ginger in it.{I think I have a sample and liked it}

  • nozknoz says:

    Patty, I have a perfume from Via del Profumo called Lake Blossom or Lake Flower (it’s translated both ways on the profumo.it website) that smells like fresh ginger root to me. There’s no ginger among the notes, so I believe it must be an olfactory illusion – either that or my nose is just haywire, LOL.

    I’d think real ginger essence might be irritating to the skin.

    Your ice cream sounds wonderful!