Ginger
Zingiber officinale
- Name: Ginger
- Latin name: Zingiber officinale
- Harvest area: Asia
- Harvest period: august - september
- Properties:
- - Aphrodisiac, the Chinese translation "Cheng kiangu" means "virility".
- Efficient for the cure of stomach aches, diarrhoea and nausea
- Efficient in the cure of rheumatisms.
Description:
Ginger was called "zenj" by Arab merchants in reference to Zanzibar, region where they used to go and find it.
From the beginning of the XVI century, Spanish planted ginger in the Caribbean and grew it for the European market.
Cultivation:
Ginger is cultivated in the majority of tropical regions, which are bright and sufficiently humid, such as China, India or Jamaica.
Rhizomes are harvested after 9 to 10 months, once the green part is dried
There are two parts of ginger. The white one which is peeled before being dried instead the grey one needs to be boiled before being dried.
Uses:
The hot, peppery, smoky and slightly lemon flavour of ginger leaves a fresh taste.
It flavours well meats, poultry, sea food, fish, sauces and even spiced bread.
Ginger can be preserved and crystallised in a sugar syrup, in vinegar or even dried and covered in sugar.