Ginger

Also known asZingiber officinale · Halia · Adrak · 生姜 · 姜

Name: Ginger (Zingiber officinale) — a knobbly, beige-skinned rhizome with fibrous, yellow-cream, juicy flesh and a hot, spicy, citrusy, aromatic flavour. It is sold fresh, dried, ground, pickled, crystallised and as a juice.

Description

Ginger is native to Southeast Asia, and has been cultivated for thousands of years in India and China, where it has been valued as both a spice and a medicine. It was traded to Rome and across the world, and was one of the first Asian spices to reach Europe. India is now the largest producer.

Ginger's heat comes from compounds called gingerols, which turn into shogaols when dried or cooked, and are a little hotter. Ginger is popular for easing nausea, including from pregnancy, travel and chemotherapy, in studies, and is a staple of Asian, Indian and Caribbean cooking, and of gingerbread, ginger beer and ginger ale.

Main nutrition value

Ginger is eaten in small amounts, so contributes little by way of vitamins, but contains gingerols and other compounds studied for their effects on nausea, inflammation and digestion.

How best to be consumed

Ginger is used fresh, dried and ground, to flavour savoury and sweet dishes.

1. Peel with the edge of a spoon, then grate, slice or mince into stir-fries, curries, soups and marinades.
2. Steep slices in hot water with lemon and honey for a soothing tea.
3. Bake ground ginger into gingerbread, biscuits and cakes.
4. Pickle thin slices, as in Japanese gari, served with sushi.
5. Store in the fridge, or freeze whole and grate from frozen.

Overconsumption could cause…

Ginger is safe in food amounts, with a few points for large doses.

1. Heartburn, stomach upset or diarrhoea from large amounts, particularly of supplements, usually above about 4 grams a day.
2. Increased bleeding risk in large amounts, so people on blood-thinning medicines or before surgery should check with a doctor.
3. Lowering of blood sugar or blood pressure in large amounts, so people on medicines for these should be careful.
4. Gallstone problems, since ginger can stimulate bile flow.

GroupsRoot VegetablesGinger family (Zingiberaceae)Low fatLow sodiumFresh

Related foodsGalangalTurmeric RootPotatoLotus RootSweet PotatoJerusalem Artichoke / Sunchoke

Wikipedia — Ginger, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger