Description

Ginger, also known as Zingiber officinale, is inaccurately referred to as ginger root, although the edible section sold in the markets and used in dishes is actually the stem or the rhizome. In many places, it is mostly used in sweets and alcoholic beverages such as ginger beer and wine.

However, in Asian cultures, it is directly used by chopping it up or using its powder in traditional dishes and in soft drinks such as coffee and tea. Gingers irresistible fragrance is due to an essential oil in its composition that has been coveted and extracted by perfume makers since ancient times.

Not only is ginger known as an essence and a spice, it is known to be one of the oldest remedies in herbal and aromatic traditional treatments, especially in China, India, and the Middle East. In China, it has been used for over 2,**0 years for curing inflammation and diarrhea. Native to the Indo-Malaysian rain forests, ginger favors lush, moist, tropical soils for cultivation.

Its cultivation may have begun in southern Asia, but it has now spread to East Africa and the Caribbean as well. Gingers perennial plant grows bright red flowers that come in different shapes such as torch and honeycomb and are often used in seasonal festivals in the South Pacific for the decoration of stalls, houses, and even dresses

Queen Elizabeth I of England, a fan of ginger herself, was the one to invent the gingerbread man in the *6th century, and it is now loved by millions of children (and adults) around the world. The gingerbread man was presented at a Royal ball, and several were made to resemble respected guests as well.