GINGER

Origin

Ginger is one of the earliest known oriental spices and is being cultivated in India both as a fresh vegetable and as a dried spice since time immemorial. Ginger is obtained from the rhizomes of Zingiber officinale. The ginger family is a tropical group especially abundant in Indo-Malaysia, consisting of more than 1200 plant species in 53 genera. The genus Zingiber includes about 85 species of aromatic herbs from East Asia and Tropical Australia. The word ginger is derived from a Sanskrit word singabera meaning 'shaped like a deer's antlers (horn)'. Ginger is not known in a wild state and has been cultivated for so long a period in both China and India that its exact origin is unclear. It is believed to be a native of Southern Asia. Kerala and Meghalaya are the major ginger growing states in the country.

Ginger rhizomes

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