A perennial herb grown for its aromatic underground rhizome, one of the most widely used spice and medicinal plants in the world.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale, family Zingiberaceae) is a slender, upright perennial herb 30 to 150 cm tall, growing from a robust, branched rhizome that lies flat near the soil surface. It is one of the most popular spices and natural medicines, with records of its use going back almost 2,000 years. It probably originated in South-East Asia but is not known anywhere in the wild.
It is mainly grown in the tropics from sea level to 1,500 metres and thrives in hot, moist conditions, best at 19 to 29°C with 1,400 to 3,000 mm of rain a year, though it can be grown in a wider range of climates than most spices; low temperatures make it go dormant. It prefers well-drained, humus-rich soil in sun or partial shade, and on slopes its cultivation can cause severe erosion unless the soil is protected. Commercial crops are planted from pieces of rhizome and given about ten months to grow, and they are harvested when the stalks begin to wither. Yields of fresh ginger can reach 38 tonnes per hectare; dried ginger weighs about a quarter of the fresh rhizome.
Source: Useful Tropical Plants database (Fern, K.).
The rhizome is used across cultures for nausea, indigestion, colds, and inflammation, and is a common ingredient in traditional cough and cold remedies.
Used fresh, dried, or powdered to flavor drinks, soups, and stews; ginger tea and ginger-based drinks are widely consumed.
Propagated from rhizome cuttings ('seed rhizomes') planted in loose, fertile soil; harvested after 8-10 months.