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Zingiber officinale (Ginger) Ginger is from the zingiberaceae family.

Ginger is an herbaceous perennial with narrow medium green leaves and vertical stems all set in two lines on each stem. The plant gets about 4 ft (1.2 m) tall with leaves about 3/4 in (1.9 cm) wide and 7 (17.8 cm) long. Ginger grows from an underground stem. It was first grown in India, but due to its popular organic taste,it spread to Brazil and America mostly in central and south Florida. It grows best in muddy or sandy soil and needs full exposure to the sun. It may also be grown as backyard plant or garden plant if the soil can accommodate the plant.

The tuberous root is bulky with a white inside. This is where the sweet sensational smell comes from. The root is edible as well but is not often eaten whole. One may peel the ginger root to get to the inside and taste its true flavor. In America Ginger has developed into a universal kitchen/household name. It is an aid to many popular editable items such as Gingerbread, and cookies. The Asians for over 2,500 years have used it in many off there common everyday dishes. “The name Ginger comes from the Sanskrit word "sinabera" meaning "shaped like a horn" because of its resemblance to an antler. In the 19th century it was popular to keep a shaker of Ginger on the counter in English pubs so the patrons could shake some into their drinks. This practice was the origin of ginger ale.” Ginger is also a remedy for many digestion problems such as bloating, nausea food poisoning and other elements.

Ginger is an extremely versatile and has many uses beyond an appealing appearance. Ginger contains a number of active ingredients within it. Distilling a ginger stem will produce a powdered ginger as well as oil made of pure ginger. The overall outcome contains high percentage of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, predominantly zingiberene. Ginger is healthy and contains many nutrients such as “Amino acids, calcium, essential fatty acids, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B-1, vitamin B-2, vitamin B-3, vitamin B-6, vitamin C, and zinc.”

Many cultures, mainly Asian, use ginger to decorate a plate or make a cuisine “sushi” look more appealing. The Asian culture finds cooking with ginger an art form and they take pride in their ability to use this plant for both a decorative and edible effect. Ginger seems to be best when used fresh, either crushed, or sliced. Fresh ginger can be kept for about two months if kept in a solid bag or container. Dried ginger is said to be bruised. This occurs when one beats it to open to get to the fibers. When the root is sliced extremely thin one may use the ginger in a salad to add a sweet taste and add a little more taste to the salad. Not only is Ginger a healthy and appetizing food product but it smells and looks great as well!

http://www.nutritionalcenter.com/site/en/reference/nutrients/view/246 http://www.amsar.com/p9.htm http://www.floridata.com/ref/Z/zing_off.cfm