Ginger: nature's mighty rhizome

Ginger's health benefits have been celebrated for eons in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and Western media. And the hype is real!

Ingredient feature

December 25, 2024

Often mischaracterized as a root, the golden spice we call ginger is actually a rhizome—a horizontal underground stem capable of sprouting new growth. Unlike roots, rhizomes function as lateral storage hubs for energy, enabling the plant to regenerate and spread from a decentralized set of nodes. Part of the Zingiberaceae family, ginger is closely related to other rhizome-based plants, including turmeric, cardamom, and galangal.

Beyond its bold, sharp flavour and the warming spiciness it brings everywhere it goes, ginger holds a truly rich history and a smorgasbord of amazing health benefits that have rightly solidified its reputation as a superfood. Whether incorporated into tea, soups, baked goods, or even supplements, ginger is a culinary and medicinal powerhouse with a great backstory.

Tracing The Golden Trail

Ginger does not occur in the wild naturally but has been cultivated for millennia, with origins tracing back to Southeast Asian Austronesian cultures at least as far back as 3,000 BCE. By 500 BC, written records in classical Chinese texts would highlight its deeply established roots in culture, medicine, and cuisine. The great sage Confucius himself would reportedly never take a meal without ginger at the table. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) uses ginger to treat food poisoning, morning sickness, and hiccups. In TCM, ginger is known as a warming, dry, yang herb that's perfect for dispelling cold and dampness from the body.

Digestive Health

Of all ginger's clinical applications as a medicinal food, the most studied has probably been its ability to quell nausea. Whether during pregnancy, chemotherapy, or seasickness, this ability has been demonstrated in multiple randomized controlled trials. The robust anti-nausea power of ginger is attributed to its carminative effect, meaning that it breaks up gas in the intestine and helps the contents of the gut move along without stagnating in one place. This also means that it can help with post-meal indigestion, bloating, and bowel regularity.

Best Practices

Selecting and Storing

When buying fresh ginger, try to avoid shrunken, wrinkly, and dried-out pieces. Instead choose full, round morsels with firm, smooth skin. You can effectively store fresh ginger in the refrigerator, wrapped in a paper towel inside a resealable bag. For long-term storage, freeze ginger to perfectly preserve its pungency and potency.

Peeling Made Simple

Skip the traditional peeler; instead, use the edge of a tablespoon to scrape off the ginger's thin skin. This method minimizes waste, simplifies preparation, and easily navigates even the knobbiest of ginger contours. Best of all, it's shockingly easy! If you've never tried the ginger 'spoon hack,' you really don't know what you're missing.

Whether you savour its inimitable flavour in a warming tea, a vibrant stir-fry, or a refreshing ginger ale, you're tapping into a rich legacy of healing and flavour that spans millennia. But by enjoying this golden spice for all it has to offer, you're not just connecting with ancient traditions- you're investing in a healthier, more vibrant future. Just don't call it a root!

Adetutu, A., Adegbola, P. I., Owoade, A., & Aborisade, A. (2021). Historical, Botanical and Medicinal Perspectives on Ginger (Zingiber officinale). ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354825703_Historical_Botanical_and_Medicinal_Perspectives_on_Ginger_Zingiber_officinale

Anh, N. H., Kim, S. J., Long, N. P., Min, J. E., Yoon, Y. C., Lee, E. G., Kim, M., Kim, T. J., Yang, Y. Y., Son, E. Y., Yoon, S. J., Diem, N. C., Kim, H. M., & Kwon, S. W. (2020). Ginger on Human Health: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of 109 Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients, 12(1), 157. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010157