Spices offer the most distinctive holiday flavors, and ginger is my personal favorite. The Christmas cookie I liked best growing up was a thin ginger and molasses wafer that my mother made. The aroma of warm ginger, inhaled deeply, has always brought me a sense of comfort and good health.

I’ve learned that one of the easiest ways to infuse a home with a distinctly holiday aroma is to simmer a finger of fresh ginger on the stove. Peel the ginger, place it in a saucepan, cover the root with water and let it sit over low heat, replenishing the water as it evaporates. Later, you can pour in half a cup of sugar, then stir, to get the bonus of a spicy syrup you can mix with club soda.

Year-round we think of ginger, which is harvested close to the equator, in connection with Caribbean and Asian cuisines. Ginger was swept up in the spice trade and by the early 16th century had been delivered to North America by the Spaniards. It also had an unsuccessful career in England as a preventative for the plague.

Somehow, through the quirks of history and global commerce, ginger became associated with the winter holidays in the West. Thanks to gingerbread, ginger is now firmly planted in the holiday traditions of many Americans.

With ginger in mind, I was intrigued to see in a recent issue of Gourmet a recipe for ginger pancake batter from La Note restaurant in Berkeley, Calif.

This batter produces a cake-like pancake. Depending on your appliance, it also might work on a well-oiled or nonstick waffle iron.

Gingerbread pancakes

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3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup brewed coffee, cold or at room temperature

4 large eggs

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

vegetable oil for griddle

maple syrup

Whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a bowl. Whisk together water, coffee, eggs, butter and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Let stand 15 minutes (batter will thicken).

Brush a griddle or 12-inch nonstick skillet with oil and heat over moderate heat until hot but not smoking.

Working in batches of 3 or 4, pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto hot griddle and cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip pancakes with a spatula and cook until cooked through and edges are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a platter and loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Brush griddle with oil between batches. Makes 18 pancakes.