Ginger

Two varieties of ginger. Read more.

       Long before Europeans were acquainted with the wonders of spices, the East knew and honored ginger the same ginger that we know today in gingerbread and gingersnaps. The Chinese and Hindus, since ancient times, have used ginger as a flavoring, as a candy, and as a medicine.

       Ginger, the most important spice obtained from roots, has a long and interesting history. The exact original home of the ginger plant is unknown because no one has ever found the plant in the wild state. But undoubtedly it is native to southeastern Asia, where ginger has been used in China and India for many years.

      The Greeks and Romans obtained ginger from Arab traders of the East, who probably brought it from India. It was the first oriental spice brought to Europe, where it was popular during the Middle Ages. Ginger seems to have been well known in England before the Norman Conquest because it is often mentioned in Anglo-Saxon books of the eleventh century. Today ginger is grown over a wider area than most spices, probably because it is easy to transport. Ginger was one of the first spices from Asia to be grown in the New World. It is cultivated mostly in small home-gardens. It needs a rich, moist soil and at least some shade to grow well. The roots are dug up after the top parts of the plant wither, which takes place usually in January or in February.

       Ginger is prepared in two different ways. Preserved or green ginger is a product of southern China. While the roots are still young, green, tender, and full of juice, they are dug up, buried in another place for a month, and then dried in the sunshine for a day. After this, the roots are cleaned and scalded. Then they are put into cold water, peeled, and scraped. Finally they are placed in a jar and boiled in several sugar solutions of increasing strength. Sometimes preserved ginger is prepared by dusting the drying roots with powdered sugar. The Chinese product excels all other preserved ginger.

       Dried or cured ginger is a product of other ginger-producing countries. The roots are cleaned, carefully peeled, and dried in the sun until the whole mass is completely cured. Then the roots are divided into parcels of about one hundred pounds each and put into bags for market.

       Ginger is used in cooking, and it is very popular for flavoring beverages, such as ginger ale and ginger beer. Ginger is often used in warm countries because it relaxes the blood vessels in the skin, causing a feeling of warmth. Perspiration is thus increased, with an accompanying drop in body temperature. The next time, then, that you have a glass of ginger ale and you feel a little cooler, you'll know that it's not just your imagination.

       The ginger plant can stand a great range of climate. It can be grown at sea level or in high mountains, providing the rainfall is heavy enough or that proper irrigation is used. Ginger planting takes place in March and April when the rainy season starts. The roots sometimes grow to great size. A single root will often weigh one pound. The ginger root is easily shipped in the living state, and this, no doubt, is the reason that the ginger plant spread so rapidly throughout the tropics. It is grown from cuttings of the rootstalk and not from seeds.

       The ginger plant was introduced into the West Indies very soon after Columbus discovered the New World. Ginger was exported from Santo Domingo as early as 1585 and from Barbados in 1694. Jamaica has supplied ginger to the spice trade continuously since very early times.