Ginger roots and stem have been used in Chinese, Asian, Arabic and Indian medicine systems for thousands of years. Ginger, botanical name Zingiber Officinale is found in China, South East Asia, West Africa and the Caribbean.
The term ginger root is not strictly correct because although this is how it is commonly referred to, the edible part of the plant is actually the underground stem, or rhizome of the plant.
This rhizome has been used in cooking for at least 4,000 years. Ginger grows in fertile tropical soil and likes plenty of moisture. The stem contains 3% essential oil. It has a sweet, strong and spicy aroma and taste, which is somewhat modified during the cooking process. It is also a mild irritant so it should be handled carefully in the kitchen, avoiding contact with the eyes, nose and face.
In western cookery ginger is usually restricted to use in sweet recipes like ginger tea, ginger biscuits, ginger cake, ginger beer, or ale, and ginger wine. In Indian cookery it is used to add spice to vegetables and various other savory dishes.
A number of tests, experiments and trials have been performed in UK and US, to try to prove the medical and health benefits attributed to ginger. It has been shown to have some beneficial effects on cases of nausea brought on by post operative reaction, chemotherapy, travel sickness (motion sickness) and morning sickness during early pregnancy.
Results are still inconclusive in medical research terms, but many people claim that symptoms have been alleviated by taking ginger in tea form, or chewing the root. There are also claims that it helps the digestive system to function properly.
To make ginger tea simply bruise a section of root with a hammer, or similar, and pour boiling water over it. Add an ordinary tea bag. Leave it for a few minutes to infuse. This can be used as it is, or sugar, or honey can be added. (This is a comforting remedy for a cold, or ‘flu.)
The easiest way of using ginger and certainly the most pleasant is to chew pieces of crystallized ginger. This is tastes good, soon calms the stomach and is particularly good for children who may suffer from travel sickness. This is a far healthier and cheaper method of treating this problem and it is much cheaper than purchasing pills from a pharmacy or drugstore.
There are cases when the use of ginger may not be appropriate. Professional medical advice should be taken if you are taking medications for heart problems, or suffer from diabetes. If you take blood thinning drugs you may also need to check with a doctor, or nurse.
Women should avoid taking ginger for morning sickness without consulting a doctor because it may cause contractions of the uterus. This is rare but caution is advised here and medical advice should be sought before trying it.
