Definition: ginger

It is a tropical plant that comes from the East. It is the cornerstone of Ayurvedic medicine. In the past, the Greeks recommended it to combat digestive problems. Later, its energising properties were highlighted...

This root has always been used as a medicinal plant. It is the underground part, the root, that is used. It consists of rhizome (the knotty, fleshy part of the plant). The rhizome is washed, dried and ground into a fine powder, which is the spice we most commonly consume.

This powder is one of the raw materials used in a multitude of so-called "slimming" products, capsules and the like. The roots or rhizomes are dug up 11 months after the seeds are planted. They are grown in India, China and Australia (to name but a few), where the pungent and subtly lemony flavour of ginger is particularly appreciated.

Ginger aids digestion. It is also used to treat lung conditions and as an aphrodisiac.