Ginger roots

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Sans OGM - Sans ionisation -

Uses in Cooking and Beyond:

Here, the whole root (called rhizome) is first sliced thickly and then dehydrated.

Two options for using this ginger:

• In liquids (alcohol, teas, fruit juices, etc.), it is preferable to leave it whole or simply cut it into small pieces with a sharp knife to avoid residue in the liquid.
• In cooked dishes, it’s better to grate it (or use powdered ginger) to fully release its flavor and prevent chunks in the dish.

The taste of ginger is peppery, spicy, lemony, and warm, intensifying as the rhizome matures: young roots have a mild flavor, while mature rhizomes are strong. Ginger is a staple spice in countless spice blends and numerous cuisines around the world: Asian, Indian, North African, and now even Western. In India, it’s found in curries, garam masala, and masala. In North Africa, it contributes to "Ras el Hanout," and in China, it’s present in almost every dish! Paired with star anise, it’s delightful in fish sauces. It also wonderfully enhances tomato sauces and white meats like chicken.

Ginger is also popular in baking (gingerbread, cookies), as well as in tea (chai) and alcoholic drinks like punch and hippocras. It can be used in refreshing and tonic beverages, as well as herbal teas.

In Canada, "ginger ale," a sweet, carbonated, non-alcoholic drink, inspired the famous "Canada Dry" soda. In France, near Jarnac, a ginger liqueur is produced.

In China, it’s often consumed as a sweet treat, candied in sugar.

Who am I?

Origin: China
Scientific Name: Zingiber officinale

Ginger is a plant native to Asia, belonging to the Zingiberaceae family. The rhizome (root) is used in cooking and traditional medicine. The aerial part of this tropical herbaceous plant that emerges from the rhizome grows to about 0.90m high. The evergreen leaves are long and fragrant, while the flowers are white and yellow with red speckles and green and yellow bracts. After flowering, a short spike containing black seeds encased in capsules appears at the tip of a scaly-covered stem. Ginger prefers sunny exposures and a warm, humid atmosphere. It grows quickly and propagates through rhizome division.

India and China alone produce over 50% of the world’s ginger consumption. However, it is now cultivated in all warm regions worldwide.

Two other plants are closely related to ginger: one, called "wild ginger," from the Aristolochiaceae family, originates from North America, with similar taste and properties to ginger. The other is turmeric, from the same Zingiberaceae family, with a vibrant yellow rhizome and many medicinal benefits.

Ginger is believed to protect the stomach lining, relieve nausea in pregnant women and motion sickness (Chinese sailors chewed it as a preventive measure), combat bile and liver insufficiencies, lower cholesterol levels, and have anti-inflammatory effects on rheumatism. Finally, its aphrodisiac reputation is well known!

Containing about forty antioxidant compounds, ginger is also said to help combat cardiovascular diseases and even some cancers, similar to its cousin turmeric. Some of its compounds are heat-resistant and may be released during cooking.

A Bit of History:

Unlike most plants, ginger has lost the ability to reproduce by seeds and now propagates only through its rhizome, suggesting that it has been domesticated for a very long time. All commercially available ginger consists of clones from very old cultivars, perhaps dating back to the beginnings of agriculture, around 12,000 years ago. These cultivars are resistant to almost all diseases and pests, which has allowed them to survive through time.

Ginger has been used as a condiment and medicinal plant for over 5,000 years, though its wild ancestors have never been found.

Indian writings from 1000 B.C. prescribed this plant for ailments ranging from asthma to hemorrhoids. Chinese doctors still use it widely today.

Arab traders called ginger "zenj," the same name as the inhabitants of the East African coast from whom they sourced it—a word that also gave rise to "Zanzibar." These traders introduced it to Europe around 1000 B.C. It was known in France and Germany as early as the 9th century. The Spanish, during their conquests, introduced and acclimated it to the Caribbean and Mexico, from where they could export it.

In the Middle Ages, ginger was considered a magical aphrodisiac plant.

The word "ginger" first appeared in French texts in 1256, derived from a Sanskrit word meaning "in the shape of deer antlers," referring to the shape of the plant’s roots.