Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

We enjoy it frequently in Indian, Chinese, and especially Japanese restaurants, but haven't made too much use of ginger at home, in years.  That will hopefully change, since this is such a versatile ingredient.

History: Ginger is a rhizome which has been cultivated for thousands of years in Asia, spreading more recently around the world mostly with the popularity of ginger ale.  Ginger is closely related to turmeric and cardamom.

Worldwide Production: 1.38 million tons, which is seven ounces of fresh ginger for every man, woman, and child in the world, every year.

Growing: Ginger is grown primarily in India, China, and Indonesia, with negligible quantities grown in other countries.

Eating and Processing: Ginger can be eaten raw, of course, although most people find it too spicy.  Some ways you might commonly find ginger are as a powder, in a drink such as ginger ale or ginger beer, in candy and gingerbread, and pickled with sushi.

Health Information: Ginger has some very interesting medicinal properties, and is generally thought to soothe the upper gastrointestinal tract, treating mild dyspepsia and mild nausea.  There is a phase III clinical trial ongoing for the prevention of chemotherapy associated nausea using ginger (this is the final phase before a drug is FDA approved).  It definitely stimulates saliva secretion, which might partly explain the anti-nausea effect.  A few caveats - ginger stimulates bile secretion as well, which can trigger an attack of cholecystitis in someone with gallstones.  And ginger interferes with warfarin.  The principal component of ginger goes by the very fun name zingerone.

Sustainability: I'm not sure what the circumstances of ginger farming are, but there may be issues.  Fair trade ginger powder is available, which raises the question of the circumstances of all the other ginger.  On the other hand, ginger is easy to grow, so easy that it's a popular ornamental plant.

Where to Find: Raw ginger is sometimes a bit hard to find, even in ethnic markets.  The large Asian markets will definitely have plenty.

Relevant Website: The Ginger People

Bottom Line: Used in a multitude of dishes, try to have some fresh stuff on hand, or at least some powder.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Ginger nutrition facts
3. Image from Flickr Creative Commons