Ginger, a root that we love
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a tuberous root. You can get it unpeeled or peeled, whole or ground. Ginger is actually from the Lilly genus. It is presumed that it originated from Indonesia where a couple of wild sorts grow. It was cultivated in India and China, from where the arab spice merchants brought it to the east coasts of the Mediterranean, Red sea and Egypt. Even though it was very familiar to the ancient Greeks and Romans, ginger gained on popularity in Europe only in the Middle ages when the Crusaders came back from the Holy wars. Portuguese brought it to North Africa, and the Spanish presented it to the New World.
Latin name zingiber was taken from Sanskrit whose meaning „in the shape of a horn“describes the look of a ginger root. Its spicy, and also sweet taste, mixes well with dishes from Asian national cuisine.
The cultivation of ginger for eating started five thousand years BE in India and China. Cultivating ginger in America started with the desire for a cheaper way to get to an exotic and expensive spice that was at that time imported from the East.
Ginger needs fertile ground and warm climate which means that India, China, Nigeria, Haiti and Jamaica are currently its biggest producers. It's said that the best quality ginger grows in the central mountain part of Jamaica. China is the biggest global exporter of this plant, while India uses most of its crops for domestic needs.
Spiciness with sweet notes
And while in Europe it was mostly used as a spice, in Chinese, Arab and Indian traditional medicine ginger was, besides in gastronomy, also used in treating many ailments thanks to its health benefits. Ginger has a wide application in Ayurveda – alternative holistic medicine practice of ancient India.
Today ginger is a very popular spice globally. It stands shoulder to shoulder with pepper to which it is close by its characteristic taste. While consuming it you can taste the spiciness which is eased by a sweet note of lemon. By chewing ginger, you can feel the spiciness in the mouth and nose which originate from their it vaporizing and non-vaporizing components. Many vaporizing components give a unique aroma i taste to this root. The non-vaporizing components, such as gingerol, shogaol, paradol and zingerone, are biologically active and create the characteristic hot flavor in the mouth.
A quality ginger root is soft and smooth, but also succinct and firm without dark spots. It has an even color that can be any type of ivory color or light brown to light yellow-green. A wrinkled ginger is not recommended for consumption.
Ginger should never be consummated by children younger than six years old, and pregnant women should consult their doctor before eating ginger.
Ginger in sugar syrup is available to buy on the market and it's a great addition to sweets with chocolate, ice cream, creams and cake stuffing and also as a decoration for juicy Asian cakes. It is an alternative to honey in many dishes and a great addition to cheese platters. Candied ginger can be consumed all by itself or used in the preparation of different sweets.
Ginger tea is very easy to prepare. Leave two spoons of fresh ginger root for 15 minutes in hot water and then strain it. Add honey or lemon to improve the taste.
One root, many names
Ginger has many name variations in different countries. For example, people in Burma call ginger „gyin“. In Thailand people call it „khing“.
Halia is the word for ginger that is used in Malaysia. Filipinos call it „luya“. In Arabic ginger is known as „zanjabil“. „Gin gayu“ is the word for ginger in the Middle East, while „zangevil“ is the Hebrew name for ginger.
Ginger secrets
Perhaps you were not aware that in many countries ginger is traditionally used in hair treatments. Create a ginger and jojoba mask, massage it into your hair and rinse after 30 minutes.
There are many ways of using ginger in food preparation. For example, in Japan you can always find Gari and Beni Shoga – sour ginger pickles.
When ginger is put in sweet vinegar, it turns pink. That very pickled ginger is used to make sushi in japan.
Jamaicans and Greeks use ginger to make ginger ale, but also all traditional carbonated drinks.
Ginger is also a wine! Literally wine but with a ginger taste. It's made in Great Britain and sold in green bottles.
Did you know that during the 13th and 14 century you could buy a whole sheep with half a kilo of ginger?
Europe learned about ginger only around year 800. After that ginger held the position of second most popular spice through a couple of centuries. First on the list was pepper.
There is an island called Ginger – the only problem is that no one can cultivate ginger on it because nobody lives there.
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