Ginger

Ginger(Zingiber officinale) is aflowering plantwhoserhizome,ginger rootor ginger, is widely used as aspiceand afolk medicine.It is anherbaceousperennialthat grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of leaves) about one meter tall, bearing narrow leaf blades. Theinflorescencesbear flowers having pale yellow petals with purple edges, and arise directly from the rhizome on separateshoots.
Ginger is in thefamilyZingiberaceae, which also includesturmeric(Curcuma longa),cardamom(Elettaria cardamomum), andgalangal. Ginger originated inMaritime Southeast Asiaand was likely domesticated first by theAustronesian peoples. It was transported with them throughout theIndo-Pacificduring theAustronesian expansion(c.5,000BP), reaching as far asHawaii. Ginger is one of the first spices to have been exported from Asia, arriving inEuropewith thespice trade, and was used byancient GreeksandRomans.The distantly relateddicotsin the genusAsarumare commonly called wild ginger because of their similar taste.
Ginger has been used intraditional medicinein China, India and Japan for centuries, and as adietary supplement. There is no good evidence that ginger helps alleviate nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy orchemotherapy, and its safety has not been demonstrated.It remains uncertain whether ginger is effective for treating any disease, and use of ginger as adrughas not been approved by theFDA.In 2020, world production of ginger was 4.3 milliontonnes, led byIndiawith 43% of the world total.
The English origin of the word "ginger" is from the mid-14th century, fromOld Englishgingifer, which derives in turn from theMedieval Latingingiber,gingiberfrom the Greekζιγγίβεριςzingiberisfrom thePrakrit(Middle Indic)siṅgabera, andsiṅgaberafrom theSanskritśṛṅgavera. The Sanskrit word is thought to come from an ancientDravidianword that also produced theTamilandMalayalamtermiñci-vēr(fromvēr, "root");an alternative explanation is that the Sanskrit word comes fromsrngam, meaning "horn", andvera, meaning "body" (describing the shape of its root), but that may befolk etymology.The word probably was readopted inMiddle Englishfrom theOld Frenchgingibre(modern Frenchgingembre).
Ginger originated fromMaritime Southeast Asia. It is a truecultigenand does not exist in its wild state.The most ancient evidence of its domestication is among theAustronesian peopleswhere it was among several species ofgingercultivated and exploited since ancient times. They cultivated other gingers including turmeric (Curcuma longa), white turmeric (Curcuma zedoaria), and bitter ginger (Zingiber zerumbet). The rhizomes and the leaves were used to flavour food or eaten directly. The leaves were also used to weave mats. Aside from these uses, ginger had religious significance among Austronesians, being used in rituals for healing and for asking protection from spirits. It was also used in the blessing ofAustronesian ships.
Ginger was carried with them in their voyages ascanoe plantsduring theAustronesian expansion, starting from around 5,000BP. They introduced it to thePacific Islandsin prehistory, long before any contact with other civilizations.Reflexesof theProto-Malayo-Polynesianword*laqiaare found in Austronesian languages all the way toHawaii.They also presumably introduced it to India along with other Southeast Asian food plants andAustronesian sailing technologies, during early contact by Austronesian sailors with theDravidian-speaking peoples ofSri LankaandSouth Indiaat around 3,500BP.It was also carried by Austronesian voyagers intoMadagascarand theComorosin the 1st millennium CE.
From India, it was carried by traders into theMiddle Eastand theMediterraneanby around the 1st century CE. It was primarily grown insouthern Indiaand theGreater Sunda Islandsduring thespice trade, along withpeppers,cloves, and numerous other spices.
The first written record of ginger comes from theAnalects, written by theDisciples of Confuciusin China during theWarring States period(475–221 BCE).In it,Confuciuswas said to eat ginger with every meal.In 406, the monkFaxianwrote that ginger was grown in pots and carried on Chinese ships to preventscurvy.During theSong dynasty(960–1279), ginger was being imported into China from southern countries.
Ginger spice was introduced to the Mediterranean by the Arabs, and described by writers likeDioscorides(40–90) andPliny the Elder(24–79).In 150,Ptolemynoted that ginger was produced inCeylon(Sri Lanka).Ginger—along with its relative,galangal—was imported into theRoman Empireas part of very expensive herbal remedies that only the wealthy could afford, e.g. for the kidneys.Aëtius of Amidadescribes both ginger and galangal as ingredients in his complex herbal prescriptions.Raw and preserved ginger were imported into Europe in increased quantity during theMiddle Agesafter European tastes shifted favorably towards its culinary properties; during this time, ginger was described in the officialpharmacopeiasof several countries.In 14th century England, a pound of ginger cost as much as a sheep.
Archaeological evidence of ginger in northwest Europe comes from the wreck of the Danish-Norwegian flagship,Gribshunden. The ship sank off the southern coast of Sweden in the summer of 1495 while conveying King Hans to a summit with the Swedish Council. Among the luxuries carried on the ship were ginger, cloves, saffron, and pepper.
The ginger plant was smuggled onto the Caribbean islands from Asia sometime in the 16th century, along withblack pepper,cloves, andcinnamon, at the encouragement of the Spanish Crown, though only ginger thrived. It eventually displaced sugar to become the leading export crop on bothHispaniolaandPuerto Ricoby the end of the century, until the introduction of slave labour from Africa made sugar more economical to produce in the 17th century.
Ginger producesclustersof white and pinkflower budsthat bloom into yellow flowers. Because of its aesthetic appeal and the adaptation of the plant to warm climates, it is often used aslandscapingaroundsubtropicalhomes. It is aperennialreed-like plant with annual leafy stems, about a meter (3 to 4 feet) tall. Traditionally, the rhizome is gathered when the stalkwithers; it is immediatelyscalded, or washed and scraped, to kill it and preventsprouting. The fragrantperispermof the Zingiberaceae is used assweetmeatsbyBantu, and also as a condiment andsialogogue.
In 2020, global production of ginger was 4.3 milliontonnes, led byIndiawith 43% of the world total.Nigeria,China, andNepalalso had substantial production.
Though it is grown in many areas across the globe, ginger is "among the earliest recorded spices to be cultivated and exported from southwest India".India holds the seventh position in ginger export worldwide, however is the "largest producer of ginger in the world".Regions in southwest and Northeast India are most suitable for ginger production due to their warm and humid climate, average rainfall and land space.
Ginger has the ability to grow in a wide variety of land types and areas, however is best produced when grown in a warm, humid environment, at an elevation between 300 and 900 m (1,000 and 3,000 ft), and in well-drained soils at least 30 cm deep.A period of low rainfall prior to growing and well-distributed rainfall during growing are also essential for the ginger to thrive well in the soil.
Ginger produced in India is most often farmed through homestead farming, with work adaptively shared by available family and community members.
The size of the ginger rhizome is essential to the production of ginger. The larger the rhizome piece, the faster ginger will be produced and therefore the faster it will be sold onto the market.Prior to planting the seed rhizomes, farmers are required to treat the seeds to prevent pests, and rhizome rot and otherseed-borne diseases.Various ways Indian farmers do seed treatment include dipping the seeds in cow dung emulsion, smoking the seeds before storage, and hot water treatment.
Once the seeds are properly treated, the farmland in which they are to be planted must be thoroughly dug or ploughed by the farmer to break up the soil.After the soil is sufficiently ploughed (at least 3–5 times), water channels are made 60–80 feet (18–24 m) apart to irrigate the crop.
The next step is planting the rhizome seed. In India, planting the irrigated ginger crop is usually done in the months between March and June as those months account for the beginning of the monsoon, or rainy season.Once the planting stage is done, farmers go on to mulch the crop to conserve moisture and check weed growth, as well as check surface run-off to conserve soil.Mulching is done by applying mulch (green leaves for example) to the plant beds directly after planting and again 45 and 90 days into growth.After mulching comes hilling, which is the stirring and breaking up of soil to check weed growth, break the firmness of the soil from rain, and conserve soil moisture.Farmers must ensure that their ginger crops are receiving supplemental irrigation if rainfall is low in their region. In India, farmers must irrigate their ginger crops every two weeks at the least between September and November (when the monsoon is over) to ensure maximum yield and high quality product.
The final farming stage for ginger is the harvesting stage. When the rhizome is planted for products such as vegetable, soda, and candy, harvesting should be done between four and five months of planting, whereas when the rhizome is planted for products such as dried ginger or ginger oil, harvesting must be done eight to ten months after planting.
Dry ginger is one of the most popular forms of ginger in commerce.Ginger rhizomes for dry ginger are harvested at full maturity (8–10 months).After soaking them in water, the outer skin is scraped off with a bamboo splinter or wooden knife by hand as it is too delicate a process to be done by machinery.The whole dried rhizomes are ground in the consuming centres.Fresh ginger does not need further processing after harvest, and it is harvested much younger.
Ginger is sent through various stages to be transported to its final destination either domestically or internationally. The journey begins when farmers sell a portion of their produce to village traders who collect produce right at the farm gate.Once the produce is collected, it is transported to the closest assembly market where it is then taken to main regional or district level marketing centres.Farmers with a large yield of produce will directly take their produce to local or regional markets. Once the produce has "reached [the] regional level markets, they are cleaned, graded, and packed in sacks of about 60 kg".They are then moved to terminal markets such as in New Delhi, Kochi, and Bombay.
States from which ginger is exported follow the marketing channels of vegetable marketing in India, and the steps are similar to those when transported domestically. However, instead of reaching a terminal market after the regional forwarding centres, the produce will reach an export market and then be sent off by vehicle, plane or boat to reach its final international destination, where it will arrive at a local retail market and finally reach the consumer once purchased.
Dry ginger is most popularly traded between Asian countries through a unique distribution system involving a network of small retail outlets.Fresh and preserved ginger are often sold directly to supermarket chains, and in some countries fresh ginger is seen exclusively in small shops unique to certain ethnic communities.India frequently exports its ginger and other vegetable produce to nearby Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as "Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, the United States, Yemen Republic, the United Kingdom, and Netherlands".
Though India is the largest ginger producer in the world, it fails to play the role of a large exporter and only accounts for about 1.17% of total ginger exports.Ginger farming in India is a costly and risky business, as farmers do not gain much money from exports and "more than 65% of the total cost incurred is toward labor and seed material purchase".The farm owner may benefit given that there is no losses in production or price decreases, which is not easily avoidable.Production of dry ginger proves to have a higher benefit-cost ratio, as well as ginger cultivated in intercropping systems rather than as a pure crop.
Ginger is a common spice used worldwide, whether for meals or as a folk medicine.Ginger can be used for a variety of food  items such as vegetables, candy, soda, pickles, and alcoholic beverages.
Ginger is a fragrant kitchen spice.Young ginger rhizomes are juicy and fleshy with a mild taste. They are oftenpickledinvinegarorsherryas a snack or cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. They can besteepedin boiling water to make gingerherb tea, to whichhoneymay be added. Ginger can be made into candy orginger wine.
Mature ginger rhizomes arefibrousand nearly dry. The juice from ginger roots is often used as a seasoning inIndian recipesand is a common ingredient ofChinese,Korean,Japanese,Vietnamese, and many South Asian cuisines forflavoringdishes such asseafood,meat, andvegetarian dishes.
In Indian cuisine, ginger is a key ingredient, especially in thicker gravies, as well as in many other dishes, both vegetarian and meat-based. Ginger has a role in traditionalAyurvedicmedicine. It is an ingredient in traditional Indian drinks, both cold and hot, including spicedmasala chai. Fresh ginger is one of the main spices used for makingpulseandlentilcurries and other vegetable preparations. Fresh ginger together with peeled garlic cloves is crushed or ground to formginger garlic masala. Fresh, as well as dried, ginger is used to spice tea and coffee, especially in winter. In south India, "sambharam" is a summer yogurt drink made with ginger as a key ingredient, along with green chillies, salt and curry leaves. Ginger powder is used in food preparations intended primarily for pregnant ornursingwomen, the most popular one beingkatlu, which is a mixture of gum resin,ghee, nuts, and sugar. Ginger is also consumed in candied and pickled form. In Japan, ginger is pickled to makebeni shōgaandgarior grated and used raw ontofuornoodles. It is made into a candy calledshoga nosatozuke. In the traditionalKoreankimchi, ginger is either finely minced or just juiced to avoid the fibrous texture and added to the ingredients of the spicy paste just before the fermenting process.
InMyanmar, ginger is calledgyin. It is widely used in cooking and as a main ingredient intraditional medicines. It is consumed as asaladdish calledgyin-thot, which consists of shredded ginger preserved in oil, with a variety of nuts and seeds. In Thailand' where it is called ขิงkhing, it is used to make a ginger garlic paste in cooking. InIndonesia, a beverage calledwedang jaheis made from ginger andpalm sugar. Indonesians also use ground ginger root, calledjahe, as a common ingredient in local recipes. InMalaysia, ginger is calledhaliaand used in many kinds of dishes, especially soups. Calledluyain thePhilippines, ginger is a common ingredient in local dishes and is brewed as a tea calledsalabat.InVietnam, the fresh leaves, finely chopped, can be added to shrimp-and-yam soup (canh khoai mỡ) as a top garnish and spice to add a much subtler flavor of ginger than the chopped root. In China, sliced or whole ginger root is often paired with savory dishes such as fish, and chopped ginger root is commonly paired with meat, when it is cooked. Candied ginger is sometimes a component of Chinese candy boxes, and aherbal teacan be prepared from ginger. Raw ginger juice can be used to set milk and make adessert,ginger milk curd.
In theCaribbean, ginger is a popular spice for cooking and for making drinks such assorrel, a drink made during the Christmas season.Jamaicansmake ginger beer both as a carbonated beverage and also fresh in their homes. Ginger tea is often made from fresh ginger, as well as the famous regional specialty Jamaican ginger cake.
InWestern cuisine, ginger is traditionally used mainly in sweet foods such asginger ale,gingerbread,ginger snaps,parkin, andspeculaas. A ginger-flavoredliqueurcalledCantonis produced inJarnac, France.Ginger wineis a ginger-flavoured wine produced in the United Kingdom, traditionally sold in a green glass bottle. Ginger is also used as a spice added to hot coffee and tea. On the island ofCorfu, Greece, a traditional drink called τσιτσιμπύρα (tsitsibira), a type ofginger beer, is made. The people of Corfu and the rest of the Ionian islands adopted the drink from the British, during the period of theUnited States of the Ionian Islands.
Fresh ginger can be substituted for ground ginger at a ratio of six to one, although the flavours of fresh and dried ginger are somewhat different. Powdered dry ginger root is typically used as a flavouring for recipes such asgingerbread,cookies,crackersand cakes,ginger ale, andginger beer. Candied orcrystallized ginger, known in the UK as "stem ginger", is the root cooked in sugar until soft, and is a type ofconfectionery. Fresh ginger may be peeled before eating. For longer-term storage, the ginger can be placed in a plastic bag and refrigerated or frozen.
Ginger is used inIranian cuisine. Ginger bread is a kind of cookie traditionally prepared in the city ofGorganon the holiday ofNowruz(New Year's Day).
Other members of the familyZingiberaceaeare used in similar ways. They include themyoga(Zingiber mioga), the several types ofgalangal, the fingerroot (Boesenbergia rotunda), and the bitter ginger (Zingiber zerumbet).
Adicotyledonousnative species of eastern North America,Asarum canadense, is also known as "wild ginger", and its root has similar aromatic properties, but it is not related to true ginger. The plant containsaristolochic acid, acarcinogeniccompound.The United States Food and Drug Administration warns that consumption of aristolochic acid-containing products is associated with "permanent kidney damage, sometimes resulting in kidney failure that has required kidney dialysis or kidney transplantation. In addition, some patients have developed certain types of cancers, most often occurring in the urinary tract."
Raw ginger is 79% water, 18%carbohydrates, 2%protein, and 1%fat(table). In a reference amount of 100 g (3.5 oz), raw ginger supplies 333 kilojoules (80 kilocalories) offood energyand moderate amounts ofpotassium(14% of theDaily Value, DV),magnesium(10% DV) andmanganese(10% DV), but otherwise is low inmicronutrientcontent (table).
If consumed in reasonable quantities, ginger has few negativeside effects, although large amounts may causeadverse events, such asgastrointestinaldiscomfort, and undesirable interactions withprescription drugs.It is on theFDA's "generally recognized as safe" list,though it doesinteractwith some medications, including theanticoagulantdrugwarfarinand thecardiovasculardrugnifedipine.
The characteristic fragrance and flavor of ginger result fromvolatileoilsthat compose 1–3% of the weight of fresh ginger, primarily consisting ofsesquiterpenes, such asbeta-bisaboleneandzingiberene,zingerone,shogaols, andgingerolswith [6]-gingerol (1-[4'-hydroxy-3'-methoxyphenyl]-5-hydroxy-3-decanone) as the major pungent compound.Some 400 chemical compounds exist in raw ginger.
Zingerone is produced from gingerols during drying, having lower pungency and a spicy-sweet aroma.Shogaols are more pungent, and are formed from gingerols during heating, storage or via acidity.Numerousmonoterpenes,amino acids,dietary fiber, protein,phytosterols,vitamins, anddietary mineralsare other constituents.Fresh ginger also contains an enzymezingibainwhich is acysteine proteaseand has similar properties torennet.
Evidence that ginger use is associated with reducednauseaduring pregnancy is of low quality.There is no good evidence ginger helps alleviate chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
There is no clear evidence that taking ginger to treatnauseaduring pregnancy is safe.Ginger is not effective for treatingdysmenorrhea.There is some evidence for it having ananti-inflammatoryeffect, and improving digestive function, but insufficient evidence for it affecting pain inosteoarthritis.The evidence that ginger retards blood clotting is mixed.
A 2018 review found evidence that ginger could decrease body weight in obese subjects and increaseHDL-cholesterol.
Althoughgenerally recognized as safe, ginger can causeheartburnand other side effects, particularly if taken in powdered form.It may adversely affect individuals withgallstones, and may interfere with the effects ofanticoagulants, such aswarfarinoraspirin, and otherprescription drugs.