Branson - 101 Amazing Uses For Ginger

TO JEFF

Copyright 2017 by Susan Branson
All rights reserved.

Published by Familius LLC, www.familius.com

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DISCLAIMER: The material in this book is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this book.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
2017932168

Print ISBN 9781945547126
Ebook ISBN 9781945547478
Hardcover ISBN 9781945547485

Printed in the United States of America

Edited by Lindsay Sandberg

Cover design by David Miles

Book design by Brooke Jorden and David Miles

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Edition

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTiON

WHAT IS THIS KNOBBY ROoT?

Most know ginger as a yellow spice in the baking aisle of the grocery store. Its in the same family as turmeric and cardamom, other familiar spices. Bought fresh, it has beige- to brown-colored skin covering knobby, fingerlike projections. These projections are called rhizomes and are the horizontal stems of the plant that are found underground and from which both the upright stem and roots of the plant grow. Underneath the skin is the wonderfully aromatic ivory- to yellow-colored flesh. When cut into, a spicy, lemony, and pungent smell fills the air.

The ginger root shows up in stores all around the world, but it is native to the warmer climates of Asiaparticularly India and Chinaalthough Australia, Brazil, Jamaica, West Africa, and parts of the United States now cultivate it. Its a perennial, so it comes up every year. It has long, narrow green leaves and green-purple flowers that look somewhat like orchids.

Ginger is teeming with more than one hundred fifteen chemical constituents in the rhizome, with at least fourteen found to be bioactive. The main groups of bioactive compounds are called gingerols and shogaols , and the amount of each of these depends on where the ginger was grown, the commercial processor, and the form it is infresh, dried, or processed.

It is the gingerols in particular that give the ginger its pungent flavor and are thought to be responsible for most of the pharmacological actions, which is how ginger can have such a varied and significant impact on our bodies. Ginger is metabolized and readily absorbed after ingestion, meaning that ginger gets broken down into its chemical components so they can be used by our bodies for a number of benefits. It is not surprising, then, to see some of its therapeutic benefits in these areas. Among its most notable actions are its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiemetic (nausea), analgesic (pain), antipyretic (fever), antitussive (cough), and antibiotic properties. This book shows how ginger can be used to treat an incredible assortment of conditions from colds to cancer and how it is effectively used in natural beauty treatments.

WHERE DID IT CoME FRoM?

Having been coveted and cultivated for as long as five thousand years, ginger has stood the test of time. Our ancestors were onto something. Originating in the beautiful jungles of Southern Asia, the people of India and China are thought to be the first to have used ginger to treat their ailments and as a flavoring agent in their food and drinks. Chinese records indicate those who grew acres of ginger enjoyed great wealth, likely using it in trade. Even Confucius was a fan, reportedly never being without it at meals.

Ginger was then brought from India to Ancient Rome over two thousand years ago by Arab traders and used extensively by the Romans for its medicinal properties until the Roman Empire fell. Pedanius Dioscorides, a Greek physician traveling throughout the Roman Empire, would collect local medicinal herbs and record his findings, notes which he later turned into De Materia Medica , a vast reference book on the medicinal properties of over a thousand herbs. He wrote that ginger is right good with meat in sauces, or otherwise in conditures: for it is of an heating and digesting quality; it gently looseth the belly, and is profitable for the stomach, and effectually opposeth itself against all darkness of the light; answering the qualities and effects of pepper. Undoubtedly, ginger was used as a digestive aid, for flavoring, and as a warming agent. The Greeks prized ginger so highly, they mixed it into their breads to create the first gingerbreads.

Unfortunately, with the fall of Rome, ginger was lost in Europe until the eleventh century. Once reintroduced, it quickly gained popularity, surpassed only by black pepper in the fourteenth century. It was so coveted that it became very expensive. One pound of ginger was the equivalent in trade to one sheep. Queen Elizabeth I of England was noted to be especially fond of preserved ginger and had it used in the making of sweets. She is credited with the invention of the gingerbread man, a cookie popular with kids today.

Toward the end of the Middle Ages and the emergence of world travel, ginger made its way to the New World with the Spanish Conquistadores. It reached the rest of the world with Western European explorers and travelers. Soon, everyone was enjoying this magnificent plant.

WHATS THE BEST WAY To BuY AND SToRE GINGER?

Fresh ginger is easy to find in the produce section of almost all grocery stores. Fresh ginger has the highest amounts of the active component gingerol and will impart superior flavor compared to other forms. Young ginger, or spring ginger, is harvested at five months and is not yet mature. The skin is thin and edible, the rhizomes tender, and the flavor mild. It will have pink tips and be lighter in color than mature ginger. Mature ginger is harvested a few months later and has a tougher skin that must be carefully peeled away before eating. The skin should still be smooth and firm with a light sheen. For a more pungent flavor, this is the way to go. Be careful not to buy too old, though. Fresh ginger loses moisture and becomes woody and stringy as it ages. Stay away from ginger that is wrinkled or moldysure indications of decay. Store your fresh ginger unpeeled in the refrigerator for up to three weeks or in the freezer for six months or longer.