Confucius says, “Eat More Ginger” Spice Profile: Ginger By Pete Taylor Herbs & Spices Expert

Perhaps Confucius didn’t say, “eat more ginger”, but it is recorded that fresh ginger was a prevalent ingredient in his diet. There are many reasons why the rest of us should also increase our intake of ginger whether it is fresh or dry.
There are four main health benefits that these tasty rhizomes bring:
1.)Nausea and Vomiting Relief
Often time people will offer a ginger ale to those with a stomach ace

This is precisely the reason. Chemicals called gingerols and shogaols help relax the intestinal tract. Ginger and the chemicals included in ginger work much like NSAIDs.

2.)Pain Reliever
Remember the last sentence in the previous paragraph? Ginger works like NSAIDs. What are NSAIDs? The short answer: Pain Relievers.

Ginger works like a pain reliever helping with arthritis symptoms, muscle pain and many others.

3.)Circulation Improvement
Ginger is a stimulant. This means it gets your blood flowing. This helps regulate other bodily functions and helps prevent diseases related to hypertension.
4.)Gastrointestinal Relief
By relaxing the intestinal tract and helping curve nausea this incredible spice is also going to help reduce flatulence. This can also help lessen symptoms like diarrhea and other unpleasant intestinal issues.
How To Decide Which Kind of Ginger is For You:
Fresh ginger has a refreshing and delightful aroma with wood and citrus notes. The taste however is very strong and pungent and also described as “spicy”.

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It is often grated and added to many Asian dishes and combines well with garlic and turmeric. One traditional dish that relies on ginger for its’ signature taste is kimchi. In Japanese cuisine pickled ginger will found to accompany sushi and sashimi. When you purchase fresh ginger (from a specialty food store), make sure it is plump and not wrinkly.

To store simply keep in your vegetable crisper for up to 10 days.

Europe and Middle East started to use dry ginger because it arrived on the caravans this way. From this we get dry ground ginger, which was often used as a table condiment in 9^th century Europe. Other spices that pair well with ground dried ginger are cardamom, cinnamon, honey, nutmeg, saffron, and many others. Ground dried ginger is much easier to source; you can find it in some grocery stores and specialty food stores. Storing advice is to keep in a cool, dark place in an airtight container.