Hello friends!
Welcome to the Konay Spice blog, your source for creative, accessible recipes, spice nutritional facts, and tips to make eating healthier, a little bit easier, and more fun!
Today we will be talking about one of our favorite spices of all time...GINGER.
Ginger "Zingiber officinale", also known as ginger root, is a tropical rhizomatous flowering plant in the same family as turmeric and cardamom. It can grow up to 3ft (1m) tall and is harvested 2-5 or 8-10 months after planting. The rhizomes (fleshy underground stems) have been used for centuries in cooking, perfumery, cosmetics, and traditional medicine for indigestion and nausea.
GEOGRAPHIC ORIGIN
Ginger is native to tropical Asia (India, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal)
HISTORY
Ginger was one of the first Asian spices to reach Europe in the 4th century BCE when Arab traders transported dried and preserved ginger to ancient Greece and Rome. The Greeks used it for stomach complaints, while the Romans used it in sauces, and to make aromatic salt (this sounds so delicious). It quickly became an everyday condiment in Europe. During the middle ages, ginger was widely used in sweet and savory cooking such as gingerbread, and even to flavor beer and ale. By the end of the 13th century, this amazing spice was being grown in East and West Africa. It later was brought and cultivated in Jamaica around the 16th century, which is renowned for producing quality ginger.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Ginger contains a high of gingerol. Gingerol is a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which help the body get rid of free radicals.
Using 1–1.5 grams of ginger can help prevent various types of nausea, including chemotherapy-related nausea, nausea after surgery, and morning sickness.
Ginger has been shown to lower blood sugar levels and improves various heart disease risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes.
Ginger helps treat chronic indigestion. It aids with emptying the stomach, which can be beneficial for people with indigestion and related stomach discomfort.
As someone who suffers from endometriosis, I can say that ginger has definitely helped with alleviating my cramps. Ginger appears to be very effective against menstrual pain when taken at the beginning of the menstrual period. You can add it to your tea, mix freshly grated ginger with hot water, or add it to a nice green smoothie.
IN THE KITCHEN
This spice has a hot, citrusy, and woody taste. Its dried form has a stronger, more aromatic flavor than its fresh form, and is commonly used in baking and spice blends (Did you know that all 3 of our signature spice blends contain ginger?). This amazing spice also pairs well with nutmeg, garlic, black pepper, cinnamon, lemon, and cacao.
MARINADE RECIPE
Fresh ginger is widely used in African and Asian cuisine. My mother used grated ginger in every marinade she concocted, which she then paired with lemon juice and garlic. So here is one of her many ginger marinade recipes.
- 1 whole ginger root
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 cup of fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup of sliced lemongrass
- Zest of a lemon
- 1/2 of apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsps of olive oil
- salt/pepper
Blend it all together, store it in a glass jar in your fridge, or marinate your chicken overnight. This fresh, simple, yet flavorful marinade should last you for about 2 to 4 weeks and can be used to marinate everything in your kitchen.
SOURCES
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
Farrimond, S. (2018). The science of spice: Understand flavor connections and revolutionize your cooking.
Leech, J. (2021, March 18). 11 scientifically proven health benefits of ginger. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-ginger#1.-Contains-gingerol,-which-has-powerful-medicinal-properties.
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DISCLAIMER
This blog in no way provides any warranty, express or implied, towards the content of recipes in this website. It is the reader’s responsibility to determine the value and quality of any recipe or instructions provided for food preparation and to determine the nutritional value, and safety of the preparation instructions.
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