Ginger is a root vegetable that is used all over the world as part of their culinary methods. The origins of ginger come from china and slowly spread into south Asia and Africa.

The fragrance of the spice comes from its oil. It can contain up to 3% essential oil, which is highly potent. Cooking ginger transforms this pungent odor into something slightly sweeter and mellower.

Young ginger roots are not so pungent and have a very mild and sweet taste whereas the older versions get quite dry and wiry ginger is also used to flavor things like sweets and candies, and also to flavor popular non alcoholic drinks such as ginger ale or ginger beer. Some countries produce a type of wine from ginger and some societies around the world use it to add to their tea or coffee to as some spice to it. In the western world it is more restricted to sweets and other sweet flavored foods such as bread, cakes, biscuits and cookies.

Powdered or dried ginger is sometimes used an alternative to fresh ginger. This is a fairly poor substitute as it tastes quite different to thee fresh root, but it is used for its convenience wherever fresh ginger is not available.

In some cultures it is used as part of a salad and in India, ginger is used heavily in all types of cooking. It is used in curries, pickles, sweets and bread. South East Asian countries use the flower type of ginger for cooking.

Medicinally, it has been claimed that ginger is good for preventing or curing motion sickness. The powdered form is best for this type of treatment and has been proven to be very effective against types of nausea it is not recommended to eat ginger to cure morning sickness that is commonly associated with pregnancy. Ginger ale and ginger beer has been associated with settling stomachs for many years and ginger water has also been used to avoid heat cramps.

It is also been proven to be a powerful antioxidant used especially in parts of India to create a paste and apply it to ones temples, rubbing in the paste to relive him or her from headaches. It has also been used to treat inflammation although this has not been scientifically proven and results have come out mixed.

It is no wonder that ginger is a popular root vegetable with a nice strong flavor that can make any dish exciting and powerful medicinal features that can help you stay healthy, especially when eaten as part of a healthy diet.