You all know "ginger" as a healthy and nutritious "root". In the West, ginger is used in powder or oil form, added to a variety of dishes—from main courses to desserts, baked goods and fancy drinks. Grated ginger root adds ginger’s distinctive, zesty flavor to Asian cooking, in particular Thai, Chinese and Indian cuisines.
You have probably seen them displayed in crates in the vegetable section of grocery stores. The edible ginger sold in the grocery stores is called Zingiber officinale. Very few people know that the part typically harvested for cooking —commonly called a "root"— is actually a rhizome, technically a root-like stem that grows underground. And the nubs on the root-like stem are leaf buds! Both the shoots and the leaves are edible —chop them up finely as seasoning.
Ginger is native to southeast Asia. It medicinal and culinary use dates back to ancient China. In Japan, thin slices of ginger "root" is eaten between food courses in order to clear the palate.
Grown in rather humid and warm regions, the ginger can grow up to four feet tall and has a long, reed-like shoot.
Although the cultivated varieties of ginger grown for culinary purpose are sterile and don’t flower, very few people know that this perennial plant has a beautiful foliage.
Ornamental varieties are grown for their showy flowers and foliage, and are not edible.
Ginger Tea Is a Great Home Remedy For Common Cold, Nausea and Vomiting
Ginger contains gingerol, which reduces inflammation and pain in the body. Gingerol also stimulates blood circulation and helps treating many forms of nausea and vomiting. Ginger is also used topically to relieve muscle pain. The plant also has antioxidant properties.
At the first sign of flu and cold symptoms —runny nose, scratchy throats, cough, etc.— we strongly recommend you to drink a potent homemade Cold Remedy Tea blend prepared with ginger, turmeric, raw honey (preferably local), lemon juice and grapefruit peels.
How to Store Ginger?
Leaving the skin on ginger will help it to stay fresh longer.
When wrapped in paper towel and placed in a ziplock bag, ginger will last up to two weeks.
The ginger "root" is also freezable.
Cold remedy tea with ginger can last a month in your refrigerator.