ginger

The English origin of the word "ginger" is from the mid-14th century, from Old English {{lang|ang|gingifer}}, which derives in turn from the Medieval Latin {{lang|la|gingiber}}, {{lang|la|gingiber}} from the Greek {{lang|grc|ζιγγίβερις}} {{transliteration|grc|zingiberis}}{{LSJ|ziggi/beris|ζιγγίβερις|ref}}. from the Prakrit (Middle Indic) {{transliteration|pra|siṅgabera}}, and {{transliteration|pra|siṅgabera}} from the Sanskrit {{transliteration|sa|śṛṅgavera}}. The Sanskrit word is thought to come from an ancient Dravidian word that also produced the Tamil{{Cite book |last=Das |first=Abhaya Prasad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ei4gAQAAIAAJ&q=Tamil+inchi+ver+ginger |title=Perspectives of Plant Biodiversity: Proceedings of National Seminar on Plant Biodiversity – Systematics, Conservation and Ethnobotany, Department of Botany, North Bengal University, November 9-11, 2000 |date=2002 |publisher=Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh |isbn=978-81-211-0298-8 |pages=292 |language=en}} and Malayalam term {{transliteration|ml|iñci-vēr}} (from {{transliteration|ml|vēr}}, "root"); an alternative explanation is that the Sanskrit word comes from {{transliteration|sa|srngam}}, meaning "horn", and {{transliteration|sa|vera}}, meaning "body" (describing the shape of its root), but that may be folk etymology.{{OEtymD|ginger}} The word probably was readopted in Middle English from the Old French {{lang|fro|gingibre}} (modern French {{lang|fr|gingembre}}).{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5PPCYBApSnIC&q=ginger+from+tamil+word+inji&pg=PA578|title=A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian Or South-Indian Family of Languages|last=Caldwell|first=Robert|date=1 January 1998|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=978-81-206-0117-8|edition=3rd|location=New Delhi}}

File:Zingiber officinale flower crop.jpg

File:Flower of Ginger1.jpg

Ginger originated from Maritime Southeast Asia. It is a true cultigen and does not exist in its wild state.{{cite book|title=Ginger: The Genus Zingiber|last1=Ravindran|first1=P.N.|last2=Nirmal Babu|first2=K.|date=2016|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4200-2336-7|location=Boca Raton|page=7}} 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. 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 of Austronesian ships.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TvQhVrQ7bzkC|title=Where Flavor Was Born: Recipes and Culinary Travels Along the Indian Ocean Spice Route|last1=Viestad|first1=Andreas|publisher=Chronicle Books|year=2007|isbn=978-0-8118-4965-4|location=San Francisco|pages=89}}{{cite book|chapter-url=https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/106908|title=The lexicon of Proto Oceanic: The culture and environment of ancestral Oceanic society|last1=Ross|first1=Malcolm|publisher=Pacific Linguistics|year=2008|isbn=978-0-85883-589-4|editor1-last=Ross|editor1-first=Malcolm|volume=3|location=Canberra|pages=389–426|chapter=Other cultivated plants|editor2-last=Pawley|editor2-first=Andrew|editor3-last=Osmond|editor3-first=Meredith}}{{cite journal|vauthors=Robert B, Trussel S|date=2013|title=The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary: A Work in Progress|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265931196|journal=Ocean. Linguist.|volume=52|issue=2|pages=493–523|doi=10.1353/ol.2013.0016|s2cid=146739541 |issn = 0029-8115 }}{{cite journal|vauthors=Zanariah U, Nordin NI, Subramaniam T|date=2015|title=Ginger Species and Their Traditional Uses in Modern Applications|url=https://docplayer.net/48110504-Ginger-species-and-their-traditional-uses-in-modern-applications-section-2-p-o-box-7035-40700-shah-alam-selangor-malaysia-2.html|journal=Journal of Industrial Technology|volume=23|issue=1|pages=59–70|doi=10.21908/jit.2015.4|doi-broken-date=2 November 2024 }}{{cite book|title=Dangerous Tastes: The Story of Spices|last=Dalby|first=Andrew|publisher=University of California Press|year=2002|isbn=978-0-520-23674-5}}{{cite book|chapter-url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/33035/A67.2007.pdf|title=Language Description, History and Development: Linguistic indulgence in memory of Terry Crowley|last1=Kikusawa|first1=Ritsuko|last2=Reid|first2=Lawrence A.|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Co.|year=2007|isbn=978-90-272-9294-0|editor1-last=Siegel|editor1-first=Jeff|pages=339–352|chapter=Proto who used turmeric, and how?|editor2-last=Lynch|editor2-first=John Dominic|editor3-last=Eades|editor3-first=Diana|access-date=23 January 2019|archive-date=25 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125193557/https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/33035/A67.2007.pdf|url-status=dead}}

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 *{{lang|mis|laqia}} are found in Austronesian languages all the way to Hawaii.{{cite journal| title=The Austronesian Homeland: A Linguistic Perspective|journal=Asian Perspectives|last=Blust|first=Robert|volume=26|issue=1|year=1984|page=61|publisher=University of Hawai'i Press|jstor=42928105}} 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.{{cite book|title=Archaeology and Language III: Artefacts languages, and texts|last1=Mahdi|first1=Waruno|publisher=Routledge|year=1999|isbn=978-0-415-51870-3|editor1-last=Blench|editor1-first=Roger|series=One World Archaeology|volume=34|location=London|pages=144–179|chapter=The Dispersal of Austronesian boat forms in the Indian Ocean|editor2-last=Spriggs|editor2-first=Matthew}} It was also carried by Austronesian voyagers into Madagascar and the Comoros in the 1st millennium CE.{{cite journal|vauthors=Beaujard P|s2cid=55763047|date=2011|title=The first migrants to Madagascar and their introduction of plants: linguistic and ethnological evidence|journal=Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa|volume=46|issue=2|pages=169–189|doi=10.1080/0067270X.2011.580142|url=https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00706173/file/Beaujard.azania2.pdf}}

From India, it was carried by traders into the Middle East and the Mediterranean by around the 1st century CE. It was primarily grown in southern India and the Greater Sunda Islands during the spice trade, along with peppers, cloves, and numerous other spices.{{cite book|title=Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement|last1=Singh|first1=Ram J.|date=2011|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4200-7386-7|series=Medicinal Plants|volume=6|location=Boca Raton|pages=398}}{{cite book|title=South East Asia in the World-Economy|last1=Doran|first1=Charles F.|last2=Dixon|first2=Chris|date=1991|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-31237-0|location=Cambridge}}

The first written record of ginger comes from the Analects, written by the Disciples of Confucius{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ID4gMCaLr0MC&pg=PA10 |title=Confucius and Confucianism: The Essentials|author=Lee Dian Rainey |page=10|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|year=2010 |isbn=978-1-4443-2360-3 }} in China during the Warring States period (475–221 BCE).{{cite book |editor1-last=Prance |editor1-first=Ghillean |editor2-last=Nesbitt |editor2-first=Mark |last1=Pickersgill |first1=Barbara |author-link=Barbara Pickersgill |date=2005 |title=The Cultural History of Plants |publisher=Routledge |pages=163–164 |isbn=0-415-92746-3}} 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.{{cite book |last1=Dalby |first1=Andrew |title=Dangerous Tastes: The Story of Spices |date=2000 |publisher=University of California Press | pages = 78 |isbn=0-520-22789-1 }} 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.{{cite web |title=Ginger |url=https://www.drugs.com/npp/ginger.html |publisher=Drugs.com |date=26 September 2022 |accessdate=4 September 2023}} 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.{{Cite journal |last1=Larsson |first1=Mikael |last2=Foley |first2=Brendan |date=2023-01-26 |title=The king's spice cabinet–Plant remains from Gribshunden, a 15th century royal shipwreck in the Baltic Sea |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=e0281010 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0281010 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=9879437 |pmid=36701280|bibcode=2023PLoSO..1881010L }}

The ginger plant was smuggled onto the Caribbean islands from Asia sometime in the 16th century, along with black pepper, cloves, and cinnamon, at the encouragement of the Spanish Crown, though only ginger thrived. It eventually displaced sugar to become the leading export crop on both Hispaniola and Puerto Rico by the end of the century, until the introduction of slave labour from Africa made sugar more economical to produce in the 17th century.{{Cite journal|last=Aram|first=Bethany|date=2015|title=Caribbean ginger and Atlantic trade, 1570–1648|journal=Journal of Global History|volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=410–430 |location=Cambridge, UK|doi=10.1017/S1740022815000200}}

Ginger produces clusters of white and pink flower buds that bloom into yellow flowers. Because of its aesthetic appeal and the adaptation of the plant to warm climates, it is often used as landscaping around subtropical homes. It is a perennial reed-like plant with annual leafy stems, about a meter (3 to 4 feet) tall. Traditionally, the rhizome is gathered when the stalk withers; it is immediately scalded, or washed and scraped, to kill it and prevent sprouting. The fragrant perisperm of the Zingiberaceae is used as sweetmeats by Bantu, and also as a condiment and sialogogue.{{Cite book|title=Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern and Eastern Africa|last1=Watt|first1=John Mitchell|last2=Breyer-Brandwijk|first2=Maria Gerdina|publisher=E & S Livingstone|year=1962}}

In 2020, global production of ginger was 4.3 million tonnes, led by India with 43% of the world total. Nigeria, China, and Nepal also 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".{{Cite journal|last=Münster|first=Daniel|date=2015-03-01|title=Ginger is a gamble|journal=Focaal|volume=2015|issue=71|pages=100–113|doi=10.3167/fcl.2015.710109|issn=0920-1297|doi-access=free}} 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.{{Citation|last=Nair|first=Kodoth Prabhakaran|chapter=Ginger as a Spice and Flavorant|date=2019|pages=541–554|publisher=Springer International Publishing|isbn=978-3-030-29188-4|doi=10.1007/978-3-030-29189-1_26|title=Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) - World's Invaluable Medicinal Spices|s2cid=208647553}}

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 {{convert|300|and|900|m|ft|abbr=on|-2}}, and in well-drained soils at least 30 cm deep.{{Citation|last=Nybe|first=E.V.|chapter=Ginger Production in India and Other South Asian Countries|pages=224–253|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4200-2336-7|doi=10.1201/9781420023367-9|title=Ginger|year=2016}} 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.{{Cite journal|last=Aryal|first=Suman|date=2013-02-10|title=Rainfall And Water Requirement of Rice During Growing Period|journal=Journal of Agriculture and Environment|volume=13|pages=1–4|doi=10.3126/aej.v13i0.7576|issn=2091-1009|doi-access=free}}

Ginger produced in India is most often farmed through homestead farming, with work adaptively shared by available family and community members.{{Citation|last1=Pachuau|first1=Lalduhsanga|title=Wild Edible Fruits of Northeast India: Medicinal Values and Traditional Practices|date=2019-09-11|work=Herbal Medicine in India|pages=437–450|publisher=Springer Singapore|isbn=978-981-13-7247-6|last2=Dutta|first2=Rajat Subhra|doi=10.1007/978-981-13-7248-3_27|s2cid=203378390}}{{Cite journal|journal=ITAA Annual Conference Proceedings|last1=Sneed|first1=Christoper|last2=Kwon|first2=Theresa Hyunjin|last3=Fairhurst|first3=Ann|date=2017|title=Do They Matter? The Impact of Atmospherics on Farmers' Market Consumers' Purchase Intention and Word-of-Mouth|location=Ames|doi=10.31274/itaa_proceedings-180814-389|url=https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2328&context=itaa_proceedings}}

File:gingerfield.jpg

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.{{Citation|last=Nair|first=Kodoth Prabhakaran|chapter=Ginger as a Spice and Flavorant|date=2019|pages=541–554|publisher=Springer International Publishing|isbn=978-3-030-29188-4|doi=10.1007/978-3-030-29189-1_26|title=Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) - World's Invaluable Medicinal Spices|s2cid=208647553}} 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.

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 {{convert|60–80|ft}} 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.{{Cite journal|last=Carpenter|first=Philip|date=1975|title=An Evaluation of Several Mulch Materials on Landscape Plant Growth, Weed Control, Soil Temperature and Soil Moisture : Interim Report|journal=Purdue University E-Pubs|location=West Lafayette, IN|doi=10.5703/1288284313900|doi-access=free}} 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.{{Citation|last=Balakrishnan|first=K.V.|chapter=Postharvest and Industrial Processing of Ginger|pages=401–443|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4200-2336-7|doi=10.1201/9781420023367-15|title=Ginger|year=2016}} 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.{{Citation|last=Madan|first=M. S.|chapter=Production, Marketing, and Economics of Ginger|pages=444–477|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4200-2336-7|doi=10.1201/9781420023367-16|title=Ginger|year=2016}} 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.

File:Ingwer 2 (fcm).jpg

File:Fresh ginger.jpg

Ginger is a common spice used worldwide, whether for meals or as a folk medicine.{{Citation|last=Ravindran|first=P.N.|chapter=Introduction|pages=16–29|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4200-2336-7|doi=10.1201/9781420023367-5|title=Ginger|year=2016}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:798372-1|title=Zingiber officinale Roscoe|date=2017|website=Kew Science, Plants of the World Online|publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|access-date=25 November 2017}} 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.

Mature ginger rhizomes are fibrous and nearly dry. The juice from ginger roots is often used as a seasoning in Indian recipes and is a common ingredient of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, and many South Asian cuisines for flavoring dishes such as seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes.

File:Ginger in China 01.jpg

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. 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.

File:Steamed salted fish diced chicken rice 02.jpg

In Myanmar, ginger is called gyin. It is widely used in cooking and as a main ingredient in traditional medicines. 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.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0HzoNfy-__EC&q=ginger+philippines+sore+throat|title=Applied health research manual: anthropology of health and health care|vauthors=Hardon A, Boonmongkon P, Streefland P, Tan ML|publisher=Het Spinhuis|year=2001|isbn=978-90-5589-191-7|edition=3rd|location=Amsterdam}}{{cite book|title=Common medicinal plants of the Cordillera region (Northern Luzon, Philippines)|vauthors=Co LL, Taguba YB|publisher=Community Health Education, Services and Training in the Cordillera Region (CHESTCORE)|year=1984|isbn=978-971-8640-00-5}} In Vietnam, 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 a herbal tea can be prepared from ginger. Raw ginger juice can be used to set milk and make a dessert, ginger milk curd.

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.

File:Gingerbread landscape.jpg and his wife with a gingerbread house]]

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, traditionally sold in a green glass bottle. Ginger is also used as a spice added to hot coffee and tea. On the island of Corfu, Greece, a traditional drink called τσιτσιμπύρα (tsitsibira), a type of ginger beer, is made. The people of Corfu and the rest of the Ionian islands adopted the drink from the British, during the period of the United 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 as gingerbread, cookies, crackers and cakes, ginger ale, and ginger beer. Candied or crystallized ginger, known in the UK as "stem ginger", is the root cooked in sugar until soft, and is a type of confectionery. 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 in Iranian cuisine. Ginger bread is a kind of cookie traditionally prepared in the city of Gorgan on the holiday of Nowruz (New Year's Day).{{cite web|url=https://www.isna.ir/amp/golestan-17943/|title=National registration of Gorgan gingerbread as an intangible cultural heritage in the national monuments of the country (translated from Farsi)|publisher=Iranian Students News Agency}}

Other members of the family Zingiberaceae are used in similar ways. They include the myoga (Zingiber mioga), the several types of galangal, the fingerroot (Boesenbergia rotunda), and the bitter ginger (Zingiber zerumbet).

A dicotyledonous native 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 contains aristolochic acid, a carcinogenic compound.{{cite web|url=https://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/SafetyAlertsAdvisories/ucm096388.htm|title=Aristolochic Acid: FDA Warns Consumers to Discontinue Use of Botanical Products that Contain Aristolochic Acid|date=11 April 2001|publisher=US FDA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170603091617/https://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/SafetyAlertsAdvisories/ucm096388.htm|archive-date=3 June 2017|url-status=dead}} 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."

{{Infobox nutritional value

| name = Ginger root (raw)

| image = Ginger cross section.jpg

| caption = Cross-section of ginger root

| kJ=333

| water=79 g

| protein=1.82 g

| fat=0.75 g

| carbs=17.77 g

| fiber=2 g

| sugars=1.7 g

| calcium_mg=16

| iron_mg=0.6

| magnesium_mg=43

| phosphorus_mg=34

| potassium_mg=415

| sodium_mg=13

| zinc_mg=0.34

| manganese_mg=0.229

| vitC_mg=5

| thiamin_mg=0.025

| riboflavin_mg=0.034

| niacin_mg=0.75

| pantothenic_mg=0.203

| vitB6_mg=0.16

| folate_ug=11

| vitE_mg=0.26

| source_usda = 1

| note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169231/nutrients Full link to USDA Database entry]

}}

Raw ginger is 79% water, 18% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and 1% fat (table). In a reference amount of {{cvt|100|g}}, raw ginger supplies {{convert|333|kJ|kcal|abbr=off}} of food energy and moderate amounts of potassium (14% of the Daily Value, DV), magnesium (10% DV) and manganese (10% DV), but otherwise is low in micronutrient content (table).

If consumed in reasonable quantities, ginger has few negative side effects, although large amounts may cause adverse events, such as gastrointestinal discomfort, and undesirable interactions with prescription drugs.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/psychopharmacolo0000spin|url-access=registration|title=The Psychopharmacology of Herbal Medications: Plant Drugs That Alter Mind, Brain, and Behavior|vauthors=Spinella M|publisher=MIT Press|year=2001|isbn=978-0-262-69265-6|pages=[https://archive.org/details/psychopharmacolo0000spin/page/272 272]}} It is on the FDA's "generally recognized as safe" list,{{cite web|url=http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=182.20|title=Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Part 182, Sec. 182.20: Essential oils, oleoresins (solvent-free), and natural extractives (including distillates): Substances Generally Recognized As Safe|date=1 September 2014|publisher=US FDA|access-date=21 December 2014}} though it does interact with some medications, including the anticoagulant drug warfarin{{cite journal|vauthors=Shalansky S, Lynd L, Richardson K, Ingaszewski A, Kerr C|s2cid=3905654|year=2007|title=Risk of warfarin-related bleeding events and supratherapeutic international normalized ratios associated with complementary and alternative medicine: a longitudinal analysis|journal=Pharmacotherapy|volume=27|issue=9|pages=1237–47|doi=10.1592/phco.27.9.1237|pmid=17723077}} and the cardiovascular drug nifedipine.

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.{{cite journal|vauthors=An K, Zhao D, Wang Z, Wu J, Xu Y, Xiao G|year=2016|title=Comparison of different drying methods on Chinese ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): Changes in volatiles, chemical profile, antioxidant properties, and microstructure|journal=Food Chem.|volume=197|issue=Part B|pages=1292–300|doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.11.033|pmid=26675871}} 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.{{Cite journal |last1=Huang |first1=X. W. |last2=Chen |first2=L. J. |last3=Luo |first3=Y. B. |last4=Guo |first4=H. Y. |last5=Ren |first5=F. Z. |date=2011-05-01 |title=Purification, characterization, and milk coagulating properties of ginger proteases |journal=Journal of Dairy Science |language=en |volume=94 |issue=5 |pages=2259–2269 |doi=10.3168/jds.2010-4024 |pmid=21524515 |issn=0022-0302|doi-access=free }}

Evidence that ginger use is associated with reduced nausea during pregnancy is of low quality.{{cite journal |vauthors=McParlin C, O'Donnell A, Robson SC, Beyer F, Moloney E, Bryant A, Bradley J, Muirhead CR, Nelson-Piercy C, Newbury-Birch D, Norman J, Shaw C, Simpson E, Swallow B, Yates L, Vale L |title=Treatments for Hyperemesis Gravidarum and Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review |journal=JAMA |volume=316 |issue=13 |pages=1392–1401 |date=October 2016 |pmid=27701665 |doi=10.1001/jama.2016.14337 |url=https://research.tees.ac.uk/en/publications/6b0f7e5c-6bc8-4f8e-9419-bf43b3eea727 |type=Systematic review}} There is no good evidence ginger helps alleviate chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.{{cite journal |vauthors=Lee J, Oh H |title=Ginger as an antiemetic modality for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a systematic review and meta-analysis |journal=Oncol Nurs Forum |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=163–70 |date=March 2013 |pmid=23448741 |doi=10.1188/13.ONF.163-170 |url=}}

There is no clear evidence that taking ginger to treat nausea during pregnancy is safe.{{cite journal|vauthors=Giacosa A, Morazzoni P, Bombardelli E, Riva A, Bianchi Porro G, Rondanelli M|year=2015|title=Can nausea and vomiting be treated with ginger extract?|url=https://www.europeanreview.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/1291-1296.pdf|journal=European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences|volume=19|issue=7|pages=1291–6|issn=1128-3602|pmid=25912592}}{{cite journal|vauthors=Ernst E, Pittler MH|date=2000|title=Efficacy of ginger for nausea and vomiting: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials|journal=Br. J. Anaesth.|volume=84|issue=3|pages=367–371|doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.bja.a013442|pmid=10793599|doi-access=free}} Ginger is not effective for treating dysmenorrhea.{{cite journal|vauthors=Pattanittum P, Kunyanone N, Brown J, Sangkomkamhang US, Barnes J, Seyfoddin V, Marjoribanks J|year=2016|title=Dietary supplements for dysmenorrhoea|journal=Cochrane Database Syst. Rev.|volume=2016|issue=3|at=CD002124|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD002124.pub2|pmid=27000311|pmc=7387104|doi-access=free}} There is some evidence for it having an anti-inflammatory effect, and improving digestive function, but insufficient evidence for it affecting pain in osteoarthritis.{{cite journal|vauthors=Terry R, Posadzki P, Watson LK, Ernst E|year=2011|title=The use of ginger (Zingiber officinale) for the treatment of pain: A systematic review of clinical trials|journal=Pain Medicine|volume=12|issue=12|pages=1808–18|doi=10.1111/j.1526-4637.2011.01261.x|pmid=22054010|doi-access=free}} The evidence that ginger retards blood clotting is mixed.{{cite journal | last1=Marx | first1=Wolfgang | last2=McKavanagh | first2=Daniel | last3=McCarthy | first3=Alexandra L. | last4=Bird | first4=Robert | last5=Ried | first5=Karin | last6=Chan | first6=Alexandre | last7=Isenring | first7=Liz | editor-last=Freson | editor-first=Kathleen | title=The Effect of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) on Platelet Aggregation: A Systematic Literature Review | journal=PLOS ONE| publisher=Public Library of Science (PLoS) | volume=10 | issue=10 | date=21 October 2015 | issn=1932-6203 | doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0141119 | page=e0141119| pmid=26488162 | pmc=4619316 | bibcode=2015PLoSO..1041119M | doi-access=free }}

A 2018 review found evidence that ginger could decrease body weight in obese subjects and increase HDL-cholesterol.{{cite journal|last1=Maharlouei|first1=N|last2=Tabrizi|first2=R| last3=Lankarani|first3= KB|last4= Rezaianzadeh|first4=A|last5=Akbari|first5=M|last6=Kolahdooz|first6=F|last7=Rahimi|first7=M|last8= Keneshlou|first8=F|last9=Asemi|first9=Z.|year=2019|title=The effects of ginger intake on weight loss and metabolic profiles among overweight and obese subjects: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials|journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408398.2018.1427044|volume=59|issue=11|pages=1753–1766|doi=10.1080/10408398.2018.1427044|pmid=29393665|s2cid=35645698}}

Although generally recognized as safe, ginger can cause heartburn and other side effects, particularly if taken in powdered form. It may adversely affect individuals with gallstones, and may interfere with the effects of anticoagulants, such as warfarin or aspirin, and other prescription drugs.

File:Ginger Plant vs.jpg|Ginger plant with flower

File:Opening ginger flower.jpg|Ginger flower about to bloom

File:Ginger flower stamen.jpg|Ginger flower stamen

File:Ginger crop.jpg|Ginger crop, Myanmar

File:Ginger on Dark Board.jpg|Chopped ginger

File:Gari ginger.jpg|Gari, a type of pickled ginger

File:German Ginger wine with stem ginger decoration 4.jpg|German ginger-flavored wine (grape-based) with stem ginger decoration

• Domesticated plants and animals of Austronesia

{{Reflist}}

{{Wiktionary}}

{{Commons category|Zingiber officinale}}

{{Wikispecies|Zingiber officinale}}

{{Cookbook|Ginger}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20041114064602/http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=1078 Zingiber officinale List of Chemicals (Dr. Duke's)] (archived 14 November 2004)

{{Ginger Plant}}

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{{Transient receptor potential channel modulators}}

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