All About Ginger

Ginger was once commonly used in medieval and Renaissance times against the plague. In English pubs bar keepers use to  put out small containers of ground ginger, for people to sprinkle into their beer, hence ginger ale.

Culinary Uses, fresh ginger is essential to Asian and oriental cookery. It is found in pickles, chutneys and curry pastes and the ground dried root is a constituent of many curry powders. Young, tender 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 satays and a colourful garnish to many Chinese dishes. 

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.

Benefits of Ginger Root

• Danish researchers found that ginger can block the effects of prostaglandin - a substance that cause inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain and can lead to migraines.
• Ginger was found to be effective for relieving the severity of nausea even in cases of pregnancy.
• It is a great mouth freshener and ginger tea has vastly refreshing properties
• It has been found to be effective in cramps caused by stomach gas. Ginger also stimulates digestion.
• Many women claim that ginger tea helps rid them of menstrual cramps.
• It has anti-inflammatory properties that can lessen the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.
• Respiratory infections - it is well known for its warming action on the upper respiratory tract, so it has been used to treat colds and flu.
• It has a wholesome effect on the circulatory system as it makes the platelets less sticky and is of great benefit in case of circulatory disorders.
• As a mood enhancer, ginger's cineole content may help contribute to stress relief.

Ginger contains approximately 1-4 volatile oils. These active constituents are believed to be responsible for ginger's medicinal effects as well as its characteristic odor and taste. The aromatic constituents in ginger include zingiberene and bisabolene, while the pungent constituents are known as gingerols and shogaols. It is these later constituents, gingerol and shogaol, that are most likely responsible for the anti-nausea and anti-vomiting effects of ginger.