I do not have stem ginger, I have crystallised ginger - are they the same?

[Franke]

Stem ginger - lumps of cooked ginger in a jar of sugar syrup.

Crystallised ginger - lumps of cooked ginger rolled in sugar.

I can use crystallised instead of stem can't I? Or am I missing something?

As long as you're sure the recipe doesn't mean raw ginger root then you should be able to, although if it's going in a cake or similar the crystallised ginger might be tougher and grittier. Maybe soak it in some hot water for a few minutes?

I would say stem ginger is fresh ginger from a vegetable shop, no sugar involved. Am I wrong?

If it's going in a sweet recipe it should be fine. I wouldn't use crystallised in a curry though!

Thanks for the replies. It's Mary Berry's white chocolate and ginger cheesecake. Fishwithabicycle - it's also called preserved ginger, but definitely a sweet incarnation of some sort. Mumonashoestring, I'll try soaking it first - good idea

Here.

I've had exactly this problem in the past, not a MB cheesecake but another.
I chopped the ginger up really finely and it was alright. You did get the occasionally gritty clump but it all got eaten!

Good to know Damsel. As it's a cooked cheesecake I'm hoping that a combination of soaking first and then baking will minimise any grit . Maybe I'll grate it instead of chop it.