common names: GINGER
plant family: Zingiberaceae
botanical description: Lumpy rhizomes with thin golden brown skin grow horizontally under pale green shoots that are pinkish close to the base. Here in the mid-atlantic the shoots grow up to be 3-5ft tall with slender, attractive, lanceolate, alternating green leaves.
habitat/growing & harvesting: In this climate(7a), it’s best to sprout rhizomes mid-spring, and plant them out in the garden in May once temperatures are consistently warm. Harvest roots before temps drop below 50F, and eat them fresh, or freeze/dry them to store. Use leafy tops for tea and stocks.
ethnobotany/folklore/history: Ginger is in the same family as cardamom & turmeric, and dates back over 3000 years to the Sanskrit word srngaveram, meaning “horn root,” based on its appearance. India is the largest producer of ginger today, and it is thought to have been cultivated in India & China for over 5000 years to treat many ailments.
parts used: rhizome/root
energetics: warming, stimulating, diffusive,
taste: pungent, sweet, slightly acrid
actions: carminative, circulatory stimulant, diaphoretic, expectorant, antispasmodic, antiemetic, analgesic
tissue states: depression
chemical constituents: Diarylheptanoids, sesquiterpenes and phenolic compounds including gingerols(most studied compound) and shogaols.(Natural Product Communications Vol. 13 (7) 2018)
indications: motion sickness, morning sickness, cold extremities, amenorrhea, cold/flu, fever, respiratory infections, headache, indigestion, excess belching, arthritis,
doshas: could aggravate pitta, is balancing for excess vata & kapha
contraindications: If you are taking blood thinners/anti-coagulants, be careful with ginger.
preparations: tea, tincture, vinegar infusion (fire cider, oxymel, etc.), massage oil, topical poultice/paste, bath soak