Practically from our origins, the human being has given great importance to food . Although it is true that the primitive version was based on a subsistence consumption in which the important thing was to survive , very soon we were separating ourselves from that simplistic vision and we turned our diet into an art and a science in equal parts. Among the ingredients that have been with us for centuries and that have proven to have incredible qualities as food and as medicine , ginger stands out, the miracle plant of the ancient Chinese.
This plant of the Zingiberaceae family has purple flowers with capsular fruit and a horizontal underground stem in the form of a rhizome (a stem with several buds that emits roots and shoots from its nodes). It is precisely this underground stem that has made it famous in cooking and medicine .
Originally from Southeast Asia, it was used as an ingredient for traditional medicine more than 2,000 years ago and was gradually incorporated into the gastronomy of the region in the first place and of many other parts of the world over time. Currently, the main ginger producer is Jamaica followed by China , India, Nepal, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nigeria or Australia.
In the medical aspect, the regular consumption of ginger has been shown to have great benefits for human health . It is an effective solution for digestive problems or menstrual cramps , anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxant, vasodilator that improves blood circulation and also acts as a natural aphrodisiac. Plus, it doesn’t add significant amounts of calories, carbohydrates, protein, or fiber.
If we now look at gastronomy, ginger has made a well-deserved niche in kitchens around the world . Its spicy flavor and aroma make it a perfect ingredient to grind and use as a spice, to scratch, to include in sauces or to accompany other main ingredients . It is also very common to see it as the main element in a tea accompanied by honey and lemon.
In this gallery we tell you the secrets and advantages of ginger.
