Ginger- Zingiber officinale

Hindi Name: Adarak/ Aadi

General Information:

The underground part of ginger plant known as rhizome (modified part of stem) is used in cuisine as an ingredient throughout the world. Its taste is pungent but during cooking process it gets converted into less pungent and acquires a spicy-sweet aroma.

Fresh ginger is essential to Asian and oriental cookery. Rarely used as the sole flavouring in recipes, ginger combines particularly well with the warm spice notes of cumin and coriander in savory preparations. Garlic, mustard seed, turmeric, and the whole palette of Indian seasonings would shine less brightly without ginger's glow.

Culinary Importance:

It is used in pickles, chutneys and curry pastes and the ground dried root is a constituent of many curry powders. Tender young ginger can be sliced and eaten as a salad. Sometimes the roots will produce green sprouts which can be finely chopped and added to a green salad.

In the West, dried ginger is mainly used in cakes and biscuits especially ginger snaps and gingerbread. Ginger is also used in puddings, jams, preserves and in some drinks like ginger beer, ginger wine and tea. Pickled ginger is a delicious accompaniment to stays and a colourful garnish to many Chinese dishes. Preserved ginger is eaten as a confection, chopped up for cakes and puddings, and is sometimes used as an ice cream ingredient.

Medicinal and Therapeutic Uses:

Ginger has long been ascribed aphrodisiac powers, taken either internally or externally. It is mentioned in the Kama Sutra, and in the Melanesian Islands of the South Pacific it is employed ‘to gain the affection of a woman’.

Ginger is most commonly known for its effectiveness as a digestive aid. By increasing the production of digestive fluids and saliva, Ginger helps relieve indigestion, gas pains, diarrhea and stomach cramping.

Ginger root is also used to treat nausea related to both motion sickness and morning sickness.

Ginger's anti-inflammatory properties help relieve pain and reduce inflammation associated with arthritis, rheumatism and muscle spasms.

Ginger's therapeutic properties effectively stimulate circulation of the blood, removing toxins from the body, cleansing the bowels and kidneys, and nourishing the skin.

Other uses for Ginger Root include the treatment of asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory problems by loosening and expelling phlegm from the lungs.

Ginger Root may also be used to help break fevers by warming the body and increasing perspiration.

Ginger is an antioxidant:

Ginger is a strong antioxidant, which is why it is used in preventing rancidity of meat products. It has been shown to prolong the shelf life of fresh, frozen and precooked meat. As an antioxidant, it helps prevent free radical damage and helps to check inflammation.

Best way to get its health benefits:

Best way to supplement ginger to the body is by regular intake in the food as an ingredient in the recipe. Healthy eating habit is the best way to keep oneself fit and fine