Ginger is a tangy spice commonly used in baking, in cooking, and in flavoring beverages. It comes from the rhizome (underground stem) of the ginger plant, which is grown throughout tropical Asia, Japan, the Caribbean region, South America, and western Africa.
The long stems and grasslike leaves of the ginger plant sprout directly from the knotty, root-bearing rhizome. Conelike yellowish-green flowers, streaked with purple, grow on the stems. There are four main varieties of the spice: (1) dried, (2) black, (3) white, and (4) preserved. Dried ginger is made by washing and drying the rhizomes. Black ginger is prepared by scalding the rhizomes with water and then drying them. In making white ginger, the outer layers of the rhizomes are peeled off before being washed and dried. Preserved ginger is made by peeling the rhizomes and boiling them in syrup. Most preserved ginger is made in China.
People use ginger spice to flavor such baked goods as biscuits, cookies, gingerbread, and pies, and to season meats and vegetables. Ginger ale, ginger tea, and other beverages also include the spice. Many dishes, especially those in Asian and African cooking, contain the plant’s fresh rhizome, called ginger root. Oil of ginger is used in making perfumes and as a medicine for certain ailments, including stomachache and toothache.
Wild ginger, a plant that grows in the shady woodlands of the northern United States and Canada, is unrelated to true ginger. It has heart-shaped leaves and one bell-shaped, brownish-purple blossom. Its root is used as a stimulant and a spice.
