Aqsa Noreen

It is unbeatable. Hands down, one of the biggest food player out there is ginger. It sprinkles its way into almost anything. Try playing hide and seek with it and I bet you will fail.

Let’s begin with the boring part for starters. I am talking about history, of course. Now don’t be like that” what’s new about that?” Think of it like bitter medicine, you have to read it to know the spice better.

History

If you remember the troll scene from your favorite series, I think that might be a good image to have in mind. It was first found in the root of southeast Asia before being exported from East Africa and the Caribbean. It’s longer hotter cousin took the spotlight at first. It is preferred due to its long history almost 5000 years back than other spices. It also has yellow red and white-colored siblings but this is the story of another time. Apparently, it can be used for healing purposes.

But soon the time of Zingiberaceae came. Since bestowed ginger with the name of zingiber officinale which extract from the Sanskrit name for the spice ( singabera). It is a tropical flowering plant that grows in the warmer parts of Asia such as, China India etc. Also, they traveled from Rome to Greece and Europe, but now it can be cultivated from all over the world.

It is such a highly-valued commodity that was used as a currency exchange. To top that even sacrifices to Gods included this little packet of joy. To make sure that sweet revenge was taken. It became a part of Indian and Chinese medicine. I think that much history would be enough for now.

Where can you find this spice?

It is cultivated in Southeast Asia eventually, it became a popular spice for the Romans. By this time, it’s worth had been increased as traders started its a trade from Mediterranean regions. It is native to China, India, Japan, South America and Africa but now it is also available in the Middle East. It can be available both in fresh and dried forms.

No doubt, Indian cuisine is such a global hit.

Where should you use it?

There is something wrong with the question I think it can be used everywhere. Although, I am open to discussion about that. My point is that this flavor enhancer spice used in the variety of different dishes. it can be sprinkled into a salad or mix it with soya sauce, olive oil, and garlic. It makes the best pair when used with carrots and sweet potatoes soup. It is everywhere with its spicy aroma. It is the common ingredient in Asian cuisine also.

What are its health benefits?

If you are fighting with infections than consider it as your hero as it seems to work better for the diagnosis of infection. It has powerful antioxidant and inflammatory properties that help the body to soothes an upset stomach including diarrhea nausea. If you have problems related to osteoporosis then apply ginger, it is best for treating joint and muscle pain. The immune system can also get a boost. If you have a cold then fresh finger ginger juice is a better choice. According to researcher, ginger may have cancer-fighting abilities. It slows down the growth of cancer cells.

Should you overdo ginger?

Please don’t do that. Although, it is a safe part of a balanced diet because you don’t take its large amount. If you take this with capsules in the concentrated amount, it can create problems in your stomach like heartburn, gas, and diarrhea for people. People who are suffering from gallstone, talk first with your doctor as researchers called it unsafe for them as it leads to the gallbladder.

Women who are pregnant can be safely used ginger to relieve nausea.