Ginger is in the family Zingiberaceae, which also includes turmeric (Curcuma longa), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), and galangal. It originated from Maritime Southeast Asia. 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. The first written record of ginger comes from the Analects of Confucius, written in China during the Warring States period (475–221 BC). In it, Confucius was said to eat ginger with every meal.
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.
For its production 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. It is best produced when grown in a warm, humid environment, at an elevation between 300 and 900 m, and in well-drained soils at least 30 cm deep. A period of low rainfall prior to growing and well-distributed rainfall during growing is also essential for the ginger to thrive well in the soil.
Ginger is a common spice used worldwide and can be used for a variety of food items such as vegetables, candy, soda, pickles, and alcoholic beverages. 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 summer yogurt drinks made with ginger as a key ingredient, along with green chillies, salt and curry leaves. In Japan, ginger is pickled to make beni shōga and gari or grated and used raw on tofu or noodles. 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, ginger is called gyin. 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 it is called khing and 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. 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.
The ingredient of ginger is 79% water, 18% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and 1% fat. Consideration the chemical composition 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, shogaol, and gingerol as the major pungent compound.
Benefits of ginger have been widely proposed including:
– Gingerol is the main bioactive compound in ginger. It’s responsible for much of ginger’s medicinal properties. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects such as it may help reduce oxidative stress, which is the result of having an excess amount of free radicals in the body.
– Ginger appears to be highly effective against nausea. It may help relieve nausea and vomiting for people undergoing certain types of surgery.
– Ginger may play a role in weight loss. Its ability to influence weight loss may be related to certain mechanisms, such as its potential to help increase the number of calories burned or reduce inflammation.
– Ginger is applied to reduce in pain and disability of Osteoarthritis.
– Ginger may have powerful anti-diabetic properties.
– Ginger has been shown to speed up emptying of the stomach.
– Ginger is used for pain relief, including menstrual pain.
– Ginger extract lowered LDL (bad) cholesterol to a similar extent as the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin.
– Ginger has been studied as an alternative remedy for several forms of cancer. The anti-cancer properties are attributed to gingerol, which is found in large amounts in raw ginger.
– Ginger can inhibit inflammatory responses that occur in the brain.
– Ginger extract can inhibit the growth of many different types of bacteria, which is leaded to infections of human body.
References
1) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger
2) www.healthline.com
3) www.islandfresh.co.za
4) www.chemspider.com
