Torch Ginger...

the only thought that could and would come to my mind with this plant species is..."how can something so beautiful taste so damn awful?" I mean it tasted terrible! A native to Malaysia and Indonesia, it is found in many a tropical and sub-tropical countries and regions and which is to no wonder that is grown in Hawaii. We had this shipped in from our friend Rick who grows fresh hearts of palm for us so figured we were just on to the next cool thing. I met him a few weeks ago and he said he would send us some new things to ponder, consider, taste and toy around with. We tried poaching, pickling, steaming and blanching this wonderfully looking flower. Torch ginger right..."must be good" I thought! What immediately came to mind as soon as I tasted it was no mistake...sheer vomit! That grotesque nasal nuance as one gets from hurling last night's dinner either after too much alcohol, or the flu. Distinct, identifiable, clear and concise...vomit! That was the first and general comment and consensus from every cook who tasted it. I could not understand how this ginger plant could be so nasty. So...the jury is still out...verdict skeptical...outlook; hopefully optimistic but not very...hoping anyway. Any thoughts out there on how to make this a better tasting ingredient? Any of you out there cook with this plant and have better results than I? Let me know.