Ginger is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and for medicinal purposes. It belongs to the Zingiberaceae botanical family. Ginger is grown mainly in India, China, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, Nigeria and West Indies islands.
Fresh root ginger will keep in the fridge for weeks f its washed and dried and wrapped in kitchen paper. Alternatively you can scrape the ginger root with a teaspoon and cut into slices.
Ginger is very commonly used in south eastern Asia, India and China. Ginger contains very strong anti-inflammatory compound called gingerols. There are many benefits of the gingerols.
Ginger is known to reduce risks of heart disease and high cholesterol. It helps to reduce pain in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Chewing a piece of ginger helps in reducing discomfort and pain in the stomach, colic, and dyspepsia.
Those who suffer from motion sickness including dizziness, nausea, vomiting and cold sweating can benefit from taking ginger either in the form of ginger tea, chewing on it or in capsule form. It also helps with nausea caused by pregnancy. not only is ginger widely used for culinary use but for centuries ginger has also been used in Ayurveda and beauty products. It is commonly used to help with acne, dandruff and anti-aging.
Ginger is available in various forms:
- Whole fresh roots
- Dried roots
- Ground ginger
- Crystallised ginger
- Pickled ginger.
- Preserved or 'stem' ginger.
- Ginger oil
- Ginger capsules
Preparation of fresh ginger:
Fresh root ginger will keep in the fridge for weeks f its washed and dried and wrapped in kitchen paper. Alternatively you can scrape the ginger root with a teaspoon and cut into slices.
Add the slices to blender jug like the powerful Optimum 9400 blender to make a pulp which can be stored in a jar in the fridge for up to a month to use when ever needed. The pulp can also be frozen in a tray and then stored in zip lock bags in the freezer to use as and when needed.
Ground ginger is also very useful to have to add to baking etc. Ground ginger can be stored in a clean airtight jar in a cool place out of direct sunlight.
The flavour of ginger is warm and fragrant and its perfect to add to masala tea, honey and ginger flapjacks and ginger syrup. You can even have chutney with ginger in it. I love ginger tea and drink it daily. Its refreshing and totally healthy has lots of medicinal qualities.
Yield: serves 2
Ginger Tea
Aromatic and fragrant ginger flavoured tea with honey and lemon
prep time: 5 Mcook time: total time: 5 M
Ingredients:
- 200 ml hot water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ginger pulp
Instructions:
How to cook Ginger Tea
- In a jug add the hot water ginger pulp, lemon juice and the honey.
- Mix with a spoon and strain into serving cups.
Consuming this ginger tea is really helpful in keeping at bay colds, flu and minor ailments.
Ginger is a staple spice in my household and I use it daily in a majority of my dishes. Most commonly ginger is added to curries and even rice dishes, I love the sound of this ginger and garlic rice.
I also love the flavour of ginger in sweet dishes too, such as is these delectable gingerbread crinkle cookies and this lemon and ginger cheese cake.
