Ginger (Zingiber Officinale) is a tropical species native to Asia.  The Zingiber genus includes a great number of plant species, of which about 80 are aromatic.  Some of these are Australian natives, but the plant we normally think of as edible ginger is Asian. 

The part of the plant used is the rhizome, or underground stem.  This is a clump of flattish handlike shapes with slim roots growing downwards from it, and the leaf-bearing stems growing upwards above the ground.  The flowers are at the base of the plant, hidden by the leaves.  While not as spectacular as some of the ornamental gingers, they are nevertheless very beautiful, though hard to see.  

Ginger is planted each year in August/September using the best of the previous year's crop.  It takes about nine months to reach maturity.  Following the appearance of the flowers, the tops begin to die, leaving the ginger rhizomes ready to harvest.  The large clumps are broken up into smaller "hands" before packing.  

Ginger has a long and well-documented history of culinary and medicinal use, not only throughout Asia, but in the Roman Empire and thence to those European countries colonised by Rome.  

Chinese herbalists traditionally use ginger to expel cold and restore depleted yang.  It induces sweating, thereby expelling toxins.  It is also used for some types of diarrhoea, cough, rheumatism and other ills.  

But the most widely known use of ginger today is for nausea.  The Chinese believe it stimulates and strengthens the stomach, and this is borne out by modern scientific research.  

In India, too, ginger has traditionally been used to treat "cold" conditions - nausea, cough.  colic, heart palpitations, swelling, dyspepsia, and rheumatism.  It was also applied as a paste to the temples to relieve headache.  

The forerunner of modern gingerbread was apparently an ancient Greek digestive aid.  They would follow a big meal with a piece of ginger wrapped in bread.  Over time, the ginger was incorporated into the bread.  When trade brought the spice to Europe, it became almost indispensable very quickly, and its use in confectionery was born.  Here the Greek gingerbread evolved into a sugary cake that proved very popular.  

Today, ginger is used to treat nausea, whether caused by motion sickness, morning sickness of pregnancy, or chemotherapy.  It is available as capsules and tablets, or in the form of ginger beer or other ginger confections.  A word of caution, though - if you use ginger beer etc for nausea, make sure it contains actual ginger, and not an artificial flavouring agent.  

Since ginger is also used to promote menstruation, some caution should be exercised in its use during pregnancy.  However, it is safe for most mothers.  The dose to trigger menstruation is 20 to 28 grams.  A glass of ginger beer contains about 1 gram, while a highly spiced dish might contain 500 milligrams.  So there is a wide margin of safety.  But women with a history of miscarriage may not want to take the risk.  

In modern herbal terms, ginger is antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory.  This makes it useful for digestive troubles and menstrual cramps, and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.  Tablets and compounds of ginger are now prescribed for these inflammatory conditions. 

Ginger also lowers blood pressure and helps prevent internal blood clots, making it useful in heart disease. 

Chinese studies show that if helps kill the influenza virus, and Indian research suggests that it boosts the immune system's ability to fight infection. 

These findings support its traditional use in colds and flu, as well as rheumatism and arthritis.  

A pleasant and effective way to use ginger is as tea.  Grate the ginger finely and place in a cup or pot, and pour boiling water over.  Let it steep for a few minutes before drinking.  

Honey or sugar can be added, and perhaps a little lemon, and the strength varied according to taste.  If this is too strong for your taste, try just grating a little into a pot of black or green tea to flavour it.

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