All About Ginger | The Fine Spice Adrak, Zingiber officinale Roscoe

Ginger originated from Maritime Southeast Asia. It is a true cultigen and does not exist in its wild state.

The most ancient evidence of its domestication is among the Austronesian peoples where it was among several species of ginger cultivated and exploited since ancient times.

From there, it spread to India, Maluku Islands (so-called Spice Islands), rest of the Asia and West Africa.

Europe saw ginger for the first time in the 1st century when the ancient Romans traded with the India.

When the Rome fell, Europe forgot about ginger until Marco Polo brought it again from his travel to the East.

In the Middle Ages, a price of a half a kilogram of ginger was the same as of one sheep.

In the 15th century, with the rediscovery of the New World, Ginger was brought to the Caribbean where it started to grow with ease.

Testimonials of both the medicinal and economic importance of ginger have been recorded as far back as five thousand-year-old Greek literature to 200 B.C.

Ancient literature from the Middle East, Asia and Europe write of its impact.  Chinese records chronicle the immense wealth associated with growing acres of ginger.

Ginger had great historic, medicinal value as a spiritual beverage, aphrodisiac, digestive aid, etc.  Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic Indian systems viewed ginger as a healing gift from God.

Chinese pharmacopoeias claim long term use of fresh ginger as putting a person in contact with the spiritual advantages. Its healing heritage is unmatched in the history of medicine.

The list of references of ginger’s sexual tonic properties is impressive, including endorsements by the Greek Dioscorides; a citation in Arabia’s A Thousand and One Nights.

It is also covered in John Gerard’s prescriptive herbal; and Italy’s famed University of Salerno medical school

University of Salerno medical school prescribed that a rule for happy life in old age was to “eat ginger, and you will love and be loved as in your youth.”

Confucius wrote as far back as 500 B.C. of never being without ginger when he ate.  In the famous De Materia Medica  77 A.D. Dioscorides recorded that ginger “warms and softens the stomach”.

Either alone or in combination with other herbs, ginger has been the herb of choice for thousands of years.

As a testimony to its numerous usages, it remains a component of more than 50% of all traditional herbal remedies.

Ginger or adrak has a very long history of use in various forms of traditional and alternative medicine.

• It’s a very common ingredient in recipes. It can be used for a variety of food or medicine items such as vegetables, candy, soda, pickles, and alcoholic beverages.
• It’s been used to aid digestion, reduce nausea, and help fight the flu and common cold
• It’s sometimes added to processed foods and cosmetics.
• It has a very positive effect on obesity and weight loss, by its potential to help increase the number of calories burned or reduce inflammation
• Taking ginger by mouth can slightly reduce pain in some people with osteoarthritis.
• Ginger is often sold as an herbal supplement.
• Its oil is beneficial when applying topically to the skin and hair.
• Ginger powder is used in food preparations intended primarily for pregnant or nursing women

Ginger is a fragrant kitchen spice. Young ginger rhizomes are juicy and fleshy with a mild taste. Mature ginger rhizomes are fibrous and nearly dry.

The flavour of fresh ginger is slightly warm, peppery and sweet, with a sharp, pungent and spicy aroma.

The taste can be called piquant, hot and tangy, sweet with citrusy notes. It is as aromatic as it is flavourful.

It pairs well with a broad range of flavours and is often matched with everything from chocolate, ice cream, and fruit to chicken & vegetables.

Ginger or Adrak has been used in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for

Rasa (Taste): Katu (Pungent)
Dry Ginger Powder Guna (Qualities): Laghu (Light to Digest), Snigdha (Oily, Unctuous)
Fresh Ginger Guna (Qualities): Guru (Heavy), Rooksha (Sharp) & Teekshna (Strong & Piercing)
Veerya (Potency): Ushna (Hot)
Vipaka (Taste conversion after digestion): Madhura (Sweet)
Karma (Actions): It balances Kapha dosha.

In Indian cuisine, ginger or adrak is a key ingredient, especially in thicker gravies, as well as in many other dishes, both vegetarian and meat-based.

• 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 paste.
• Fresh, as well as dried, ginger is used to spice tea and coffee, especially in winter.
• Ginger powder is used in food preparations intended primarily for pregnant or nursing women.
• Ginger is also consumed in candied and pickled form.
• In Japan, ginger is pickled to make beni shōga and gari or grated and used raw on tofu or noodles. It is made into a candy called shoga no sato zuke.
• In the traditional Korean kimchi, 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.
• In Burma, it is consumed as a salad dish called gyin-thot, which consists of shredded ginger preserved in oil, with a variety of nuts and seeds.
• In Thailand’ where it is called ขิง khing, it is used to make a ginger garlic paste in cooking.
• In Indonesia, a beverage called wedang jahe is made from ginger and palm sugar. Indonesians also use ground ginger root, called jahe, as a common ingredient in local recipes.
• In Malaysia, ginger is called halia and used in many kinds of dishes, especially soups.
• Called luya in the Philippines, ginger is a common ingredient in local dishes and is brewed as a tea called salabat.
• In the Caribbean, ginger is a popular spice for cooking and for making drinks such as sorrel, a drink made during the Christmas season.
• Jamaicans make 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.
• In Western cuisine, ginger is traditionally used mainly in sweet foods such as ginger ale, gingerbread, ginger snaps, parkin, and speculaas.
• A ginger-flavored liqueur called Canton is produced in Jarnac, France.
• Ginger wine is a ginger-flavoured wine produced in the United Kingdom.

Ginger root is most commonly used, however, the leaves and shoots of ginger are edible as well. While ginger leaves can be tough to chew, you can chop them finely and use them as a garnish.

Ginger leaves can also be mixed with grains, or in soups where they can be cooked. They are mainly used as a flavourful garnish much as you would use chopped chives or green onions.

To use the leaves or shoots, chop them finely and sprinkle a small portion over a dish before you serve it or add it just at the end of cooking. The shoots and leaves will add a mild ginger flavour.

Peel and grate ginger then easily add to various sauces, glazes, and marinades to spice up the dish. You can use sliced ginger root in soups or curries.

Stir fry ginger strips with vegetables, noodles, and protein or use grated ginger to make a glaze for vegetables, fish, or roasts.

Use ginger powder for baking while its juice can be implemented in sauces. You can also pickled ginger to serve on the side as a condiment.

Ginger root tea is one of those utilitarian beverages that work equally well hot or cold.

Ginger can easily last up to three weeks in the refrigerator, provided it has not been exposed to air and moisture.

Ginger can be stored in large chunks in the freezer, but remember to keep them in an airtight container.

Properly stored, ground ginger will generally stay at best quality for about 3 to 4 years.

• Fresh Ginger – Always store the ginger in a paper bag or paper towel and then store it in the refrigerator or freezer. Pack a chunk of ginger by wrapping it properly until there is no place left for it to get exposed to air and moisture.
• Ground ginger – Store it in an airtight container in the freezer to keep it fresh.

Fresh ginger can be found in the produce section of most grocery stores. Look for smooth skin with a fresh, spicy fragrance, and avoid those whose ends show signs of mold.

Ginger powder can be found in the spice section, sold in small jars.

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1. Health benefits of ginger as an anti-inflammatory – Ginger contains antioxidant-like compounds called phytonutrients that may reduce your cell damage. The ginger root can also prevent inflammation from starting by reducing cell-signalling activity. With that in mind, adding ginger to already good-for-you, nutrient-dense meals is the key to unlocking those properties.
2. Health benefits of adrak to treat morning sickness – it has a long history of use as a sea sickness remedy, and there is some evidence that it may be as effective as prescription medication. Ginger may also relieve nausea and vomiting after surgery, and in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
3. Health benefits of ginger to reduces gas and improves digestion – enzymes in ginger can help the body break up and expel this gas, providing relief from any discomfort. Ginger also appears to have beneficial effects on the enzymes trypsin and pancreatic lipase, which are important for digestion. In addition, ginger may help increase movement through the digestive tract, suggesting that it may relieve or prevent constipation.
4. Health benefits of adrak to keep your mouth healthy – Ginger’s antibacterial power may also brighten your smile. Active compounds in ginger called gingerols keep oral bacteria from growing. These bacteria are the same ones that can cause periodontal disease, a serious gum infection.
5. Health benefits of ginger protect against diseases – Ginger is loaded with antioxidants, compounds that prevent stress and damage to your body’s DNA. They may help your body fight off chronic diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diseases of the lungs, plus promote healthy ageing.
6. Health benefits of adrak to help with your diabetes – Ginger may help improve your blood sugar levels and lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It helps you with improved insulin sensitivity, lower triglycerides, and lower total cholesterol. A significant of many health benefits of ginger.
7. Health benefits of ginger to reduce menstrual pains – Many women know how debilitating menstrual pain can be. There are over-the-counter pain medications dedicated to this specific pain, but ginger may also provide relief. One study found that ginger is as effective as ibuprofen in reducing the pain associated with dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation) in women.
8. Health benefits of adrak to protect your liver – Ginger is said to protect you from harmful chemicals that can hurt your liver. It also reduces the risks of your liver from ageing. There are heavy metal and drugs that get sedimented on your liver and ginger is said to wash it away. Most importantly it protects your liver from damaging and scarring.
9. Health benefits of ginger to help your skin – Health benefits of ginger also work for your skin. So if you are battling yourself with acne every day then you need to consume ginger every day and this will help you bid goodbye to acne. a little bit of ginger tea every day can remove those wrinkles and prevent ageing. A must-include of many health benefits of ginger.
10. Health benefits of ginger for hair care – Ginger is also said to be good for your hair such that it prevents hair fall and dandruff. Here are some of the health benefits that ginger can do to your hair. Ginger consists of antiseptic properties that help prevent dandruff. Consuming ginger helps you sweat and when you sweat from your hair, it produces natural oils that act as antiseptics preventing dandruff.

Although not all side effects are known, ginger is thought to be likely safe for most people.

However, ginger can have side effects such as abdominal discomfort, heartburn, diarrhea, and mouth and throat irritation, especially if taken in large doses.

All about ginger | the fine spice adrak, zingiber officinale roscoe

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is one of the most commonly consumed dietary condiments in the world. It belongs to the Zingiberaceae family.

Ginger has been used for thousands of years for the treatment of numerous ailments, such as colds, nausea, arthritis, migraines, and hypertension.

Ginger is a member of a plant family that includes cardamom and turmeric. Its spicy aroma is mainly due to presence of ketones, especially the gingerols.

Indians and Chinese are believed to have produced ginger as a tonic root for over 5000 years to treat many ailments.

It is now cultivated throughout the humid tropics, with India being the largest producer. Ginger was used as a flavouring agent long before history was formally recorded.

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