Ginger
Ginger is the underground rhizome of the ginger plant “Zingiber officinale” having a firm, striated texture. It is consumed as spice and medicine. Depending on the variety, the ginger rhizome may be yellow, white or red in color. It may be covered with a thick or thin brownish skin.depending on whether the plant was harvested when it was mature or early. The plant produces clusters of white and pink flower buds that bloom into yellow flowers. Ginger cultivation originated in South Asia and spread to East Africa.
India is among the leading producer of ginger in the world. The country produced more than 4 lakh tonnes of the spice from an area of 1.20 lakh hectares. Although ginger is cultivated all over India. the states of Kerala, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland and Orissa together contributes nearly 70 per cent to the country’s total production.
Ginger is suited for cultivation in regions having warm and humid climate and is cultivated up to an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level. It can be grown both under irrigated and rain fed conditions. A moderate rainfall is needed at the time of sowing until the rhizomes sprout, and a fairly heavy and distributed showers during the growing period followed by dry weather for about a month before harvesting, is what is needed for a good yield. Ginger thrives best in well drained soils like sandy loam, clay loam, red loam or lateritic loam.
Season
The planting season for ginger along the West Coast of India is during early May which coincides with pre-monsoon showers. It can be planted well in advance during the middle of February or early March under irrigated conditions. Scorching the surface soil and early planting with the arrival of summer showers results in higher yield and reduces the incidence of disease.
Varieties
The various cultivars of ginger grown in different parts of India are known after the localities where they are grown. Some of the well known cultivars are Maran, Kuruppampadi, Ernad, Wynad, Himachal and Nadia. Some exotic cultivars such as Rio-de-Janeiro have also become very popular
Uses
Aromatic, pungent and spicy, ginger adds a special flavor and zest to Asian stir fries and many fruit and vegetable dishes. The juice from old ginger roots is extremely potentand is often used as a spice in Indian recipes, and is a quintessential ingredient of Chinese, Korean, Japanese and many South Asian cuisines for flavoring dishes such as seafood , meat and vegetarian cuisine. Ginger acts as a useful food preservative
In Western cuisine, ginger is used mainly in sweet foods such as ginger ale, gingerbread, ginger snaps, parkin, ginger biscuits and speculaas. In France, A ginger-flavored liqueur called Canton is produced Green ginger wine is a wine produced in the United Kingdom, traditionally sold in a green glass bottle. Ginger is also used as a spice added to hot coffee.
Due to its aesthetic appeal and easily adapted to warm climates, ginger is also used for landscaping
Ginger has been traditionally used in the treatment o dyspepsia, gastroparesis, constipation, and colic. It was also used to camouflage the taste of medicines. Ginger is being used in traditional Chinese medicine. Studies indicate that ginger could provide short-term relief of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Studies on its effectiveness in treating of pain due to rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, joint or muscle injury are inconclusive. Side effects associated with intake of powdered ginger, could manifest as gas, bloating, heartburn, and nausea. Tea brewed from ginger is a common folk remedy for colds.
