Practical Health Tips

Ginger: Iconic Spice

It is a perennial plant with a pungent aromatic rhizome (root) used as a spice, flavoring, food and medicine. A native to Southeast Asia, it has been used in China, India and Japan for thousands of years and introduced to the Mediterranean Region and Europe by traders in the 1st century.

Scientific Claims:

• From a Functional Clinical Nutritionist – Ginger helps in preventing blood clots in the blood vessels of the heart. The anti-oxidants present in ginger help in reducing the formation of platelets in the arteries caused by high cholesterol.
• From an Experienced Dietician – Ginger is in vogue as ginger bread, ginger cookies, ginger wine and ginger smoothie. If taken moderately, it is still good for diabetics.
• From an Agronomy Professor – Ginger is easy to culture if you follow the recommended mulching (soil cover) system commonly used by strawberry farmers. There is money in ginger farming but supply should be regulated to maintain high return on production costs.

Planting Ginger:

1. Purchase and cut a ginger rhizome into 1-1.5 inches pieces. Select a root that is firm and at least 5 inches long, with several visible buds. Then, cut the root into chunks (making sure each chunk has at least 1 bud) and leave the chunks on the counter for about 3 days to let them heal- the exposed inside will begin to callous over. In addition, soak store- bought ginger rhizome in water overnight to rinse off any anti-growth chemicals that may have been added by the grocer.
2. Plant each root chunk in 12 inches clay pot with nutrient rich soil. Ginger thrives on high-quality, well-drained soil. Mix loamy potting soil with well rotten compost or thick mulch. Then, fill the pot with the soil, leaving about an inch of space at the top, and plant the ginger 2 inches beneath the surface, laid horizontally. Alternatively, plant the chunks in a larger pot or in outdoor soil about 6-8 inches apart.
3. Place the pot in direct sunlight, and water until the soil is moist. Ginger loves sunshine, so chose a spot that gets about 2-5 hours of direct sunlight each day.
4. Harvesting – Harvest your ginger once the shoots and leaves dry out. The stem of the ginger plant will turn yellow when the plant is about 8-10 months old. Cut away the shoots and leave a few buds to replant. Ginger can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or about 6 months.