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Enjoyed in cuisines the world over for its warm, spicy-sweet aroma and flavor, ginger complements both sweet (think gingerbread) and savory (think stir fry) dishes. Its available in whole root, cut and sifted, powdered, and crystallized, so you can choose the perfect form for your perfect dish.
A perennial, tropical plant with aromatic, tuberous roots, ginger is one of over 50 species of the genus zingiber. While several of these species are cultivated for food use, the spice we know as ginger is Zingiber officinale. The rhizome, or root of the ginger plant, is the part we use as a spice. The candied rhizome of the ginger plant is sold as crystallized ginger, and dried ginger that has been ground is sold as ground ginger.
Originating in tropical Southeast Asia, ginger has been cultivated for more than 3,000 years. Ancient medical records indicate that it was used in teas, baths, and chest compresses, and texts dating as far back as ancient China and India suggest ginger for healthy digestion. The Romans introduced ginger to Northern Europe, where it was used in cakes, biscuits and other sweet dishes. By the 14th century, it rivaled pepper in popularity, and when the plague hit, ginger, with its antiseptic properties and sulfur content, was considered by some a worthy antidote.
