Conelike yellowish-green flowers, streaked with purple, grow on the stems. Dried ginger is made by washing and drying the rhizomes. Black ginger is prepared by scalding the rhizomes with water and drying them. In making white ginger, the outer layers of the rhizomes are peeled off before being washed and dried. Preserved ginger is made by peeling the rhizomes and boiling them in syrup.
Most preserved ginger is made in China.
Ginger is used to flavor such baked goods as biscuits, cookies, gingerbread , and pies, and to season meat and vegetable dishes. It is also an ingredient of ginger ale, ginger tea, and other beverages. Oil of ginger is used in making perfumes and as a medicine for certain ailments, including stomachache and toothache. A plant called wild ginger belongs to the birthwort family and is not related to true ginger. It grows in shady woodlands of the Northern United States.