Ginger benefits are recognized by traditional medicine for a long time in Asia. Ginger is a type of spice which origin is either from Asia and India subcontinent. It is also a familiar spice there and in the world. Ginger is used as both spice and medicine to the eastern culture popularly.
Description
Ginger benefits contribute to our health with role of spice and natural medicine. We may use ginger in many case and knowing about it with some details related to description is useful.
Ginger is herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the Zingiberaceae family. The plant is about 1m high with long narrow green leaves, yellow flower and rhizome.
The root of ginger has special shape that compared to the horn. Its skin is mostly brown, striped, will be thin when immature and thick when mature. The flesh is dense and could be in slight yellow, white or red color depends on the types. The more mature the ginger root is, the more fiber it will contain.
Ginger also has a special taste, pungent and hot and it is also aromatic.
Ginger in use
The ginger rhizome contains high level of dietary fiber, protein, vitamins (especially B3) minerals (especially calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium) and essential nutrients. The volatile oil which is consisted about 1-3% the weight of ginger is the cause of the aroma and strong flavor of this plant root.
Ginger is a very popular spice in the spice list in the world kitchen with ginger benefits acceptable. It is used in both western and eastern cuisine. In Asia countries as Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, China, Japan, Korea, especially India…and many other countries in Europe, Caribbean or Arabia…ginger is widely used as spice or main ingredient in varieties of dishes.
In India, ginger is considered as an important spice that is joined to many dishes to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian from gravies to curies and dishes which use pulse and vegetable.
This rhizome is also used in other countries cuisine. We could account some specific dishes as beni shoga – a kind of pickled ginger slice in Japan, gyin thot – a type of salad of Burma, ginger ale, ginger snaps…types of sweet foods in the west and many other dishes.
Besides, this spice is also used in making drinks, beverages, beers or added to tea and coffee.
As medicine
Ginger is considered a warm oriental medicine by ginger benefits. It is used in Asia popularly for cure. This spice is especially efficient to the cold and helpful to the digestion. It could be used fresh or dried (as sliced) or as powder to combine with other type of oriental medicines.
In some countries, the fresh ginger is combined with rice wine to reduce the pain and the ginger powder is mixed with honey to treat the stomach-ache.
