Ginger
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems about one meter tall, bearing narrow leaf blades. The inflorescences bear flowers having pale yellow petals with purple edges, and arise directly from the rhizome on separate shoots. Ginger originated in Maritime Southeast Asia and was likely domesticated first by the Austronesian peoples. They cultivated other gingers including turmeric, white turmeric, and bitter ginger. 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 of Austronesian ships. Ginger was carried with them in their voyages as canoe plants during the Austronesian expansion, starting from around 5,000 BP. They introduced it to the Pacific Islands in prehistory, long before any contact with other civilizations. Reflexes of the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word are found in Austronesian languages all the way to Hawaii. They also presumably introduced it to India along with other Southeast Asian food plants and Austronesian sailing technologies, during early contact by Austronesian sailors with the Dravidian-speaking peoples of Sri Lanka and South India at around 3,500 BP. It was also carried by Austronesian voyagers into Madagascar and the Comoros in the 1st millennium CE.
The first written record of ginger comes from the Analects, written by the Disciples of Confucius in China during the Warring States period (475, 221 BCE). In it, Confucius was said to eat ginger with every meal. In 406, the monk Faxian wrote that ginger was grown in pots and carried on Chinese ships to prevent scurvy. During the Song 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 like Dioscorides (40, 90) and Pliny the Elder (24, 79). In 150, Ptolemy noted that ginger was produced in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Ginger, along with its relative, galangal, was imported into the Roman Empire as part of very expensive herbal remedies that only the wealthy could afford, e.g. for the kidneys. Aëtius of Amida describes both ginger and galangal as ingredients in his complex herbal prescriptions. Raw and preserved ginger were imported into Europe in increased quantity during the Middle Ages after European tastes shifted favorably towards its culinary properties; during this time, ginger was described in the official pharmacopeias of 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.
In 2023, world production of raw ginger was 4.9 million tonnes, led by India with 45% of the total, and Nigeria and China as secondary producers. 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 100 and 600 meters, 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 other seed-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.
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. Young ginger rhizomes are juicy and fleshy with a mild taste. They are often pickled in vinegar or sherry as a snack or cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. They can be steeped in boiling water to make ginger herb tea, to which honey may be added. Ginger can be made into candy or ginger wine. 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 traditional Ayurvedic medicine. It is an ingredient in traditional Indian drinks, both cold and hot, including spiced masala chai. Fresh ginger is one of the main spices used for making pulse and lentil curries and other vegetable preparations. Fresh ginger together with peeled garlic cloves is crushed or ground to form ginger 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 or nursing women, the most popular one being katlu, which is a mixture of gum resin, ghee, nuts, and sugar.
The characteristic fragrance and flavor of ginger result from volatile oils that compose 1, 3% of the weight of fresh ginger, primarily consisting of sesquiterpenes, such as beta-bisabolene and zingiberene, zingerone, shogaols, and gingerols with [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. Numerous monoterpenes, amino acids, dietary fiber, protein, phytosterols, vitamins, and dietary minerals are other constituents. Fresh ginger also contains an enzyme zingibain which is a cysteine protease and has similar properties to rennet. Evidence that ginger use is associated with reduced nausea during 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 treat nausea during pregnancy is safe. Ginger is not effective for treating dysmenorrhea. There is some evidence for it having an anti-inflammatory effect, but insufficient evidence for it affecting pain in osteoarthritis. There is no good evidence that ginger affects platelet aggregation and blood clotting. A 2018 review found evidence that ginger could decrease body weight in obese subjects and increase HDL-cholesterol.
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Common questions
What is the scientific name of ginger?
The scientific name of ginger is Zingiber officinale. It is a flowering plant whose rhizome, also known as ginger root or simply ginger, is widely used as a spice and folk medicine.
Where did ginger originate and when was it first domesticated?
Ginger originated in Maritime Southeast Asia and was likely domesticated first by the Austronesian peoples around 5,000 BP. They carried it with them during their expansion to introduce it to the Pacific Islands, India, Madagascar, and the Comoros.
When was the first written record of ginger documented?
The first written record of ginger comes from the Analects, which were written by the Disciples of Confucius in China during the Warring States period between 475 BCE and 221 BCE. In this text, Confucius was said to eat ginger with every meal.
Which country produces the most raw ginger today?
India holds the seventh position in ginger export worldwide but is the largest producer of ginger in the world. In 2023, world production of raw ginger reached 4.9 million tonnes, with India accounting for 45% of the total.
What are the main chemical compounds found in fresh ginger?
Fresh ginger contains volatile oils that compose 1.3% of its weight, primarily consisting of sesquiterpenes such as beta-bisabolene and zingiberene, along with zingerone, shogaols, and gingerols. The major pungent compound within these oils is [6]-gingerol.