Pretty Enough to Eat

My ginger plant is threatening to outgrow its pot -- it propagates by sending up new shoots sort of in concentric circles, wider and wider. The pot is just too gorgeous to replace, but I don't want all the new shoots to crack it into smithereens, so I lopped off a new shoot today. The cut end smells greeny-tropical-delicious.
I didn't, er, "root" around in the dirt, so I don't know if there is a useable rhizome down in there... Probably is. Guess I'll have to get my fingernails dirty. Isn't that what being a farmer is all about? Oh, and eating what you reap.
Update! I rooted around for the rhizome. It's a little red devil, complete with two horns. It's far from a mature ginger root, but it's tender and fragrant! I can cut it up for a sweet little stir-fry with soft tofu and eggplant.