Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Ginger, the Great Spice



Ginger, The Great Spice
Perhaps of all spices, ginger has a long respected history. The name is believed to have come from the ancient Indio-Arayan language, singaberi, meaning shaped like a horn. Fresh ginger is used in culinary cooking vegetables and meats, most often in stir-fry and curry dishes.
*
Ginger is used in the forms of: Fresh or green ginger, dried whole ginger root, ground ginger, pickled ginger, preserved or stem ginger, chopped candied ginger, and crystallized ginger.
*
Culpeper, the herbalist of 150 years ago said "ginger helps digestion, warms the stomach, clears the sight, and is profitable for old men, it heats the joints and is therefore useful against gout". Ginger has an impressive record of treating all kinds of ailments it is said to help poor circulation, and to cure flatulence and indigestion, it is taken as a drink for coughs, nausea and influenza. It is considered to be a cure for travel sickness.
*
From my days working as a nurse in OB, ginger ale was given to mother in labor to cure nausea and it was effective.

No comments: