Ginger or আদা

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or simply ginger, is widely used as a spice or a folk medicine.

It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual stems about a meter tall bearing narrow green leaves and yellow flowers. Ginger is in the family Zingiberaceae, to which also belong turmeric (Curcuma longa), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), and galangal. Ginger originated in the tropical rainforest in Southern Asia. Although ginger no longer grows wild, it is thought to have originated on the Indian subcontinent. The ginger plants grown in India show the largest amount of genetic variation. The larger the number of genetic variations, the

longer the plant is thought to have grown in that region. Ginger was exported to Europe via India in the first century AD as a result of the lucrative spice trade and was used extensively by the Romans.

Ginger produces a hot, fragrant kitchen spice.[6] Young ginger rhizomes are juicy and fleshy with a very mild taste. They are often pickled in vinegar or sherry as a snack or cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. They can be steeped in boiling water to make ginger tisane, to which honey is often added; sliced orange or lemon fruit may be added. Ginger can be made into candy, or ginger wine, which has been made commercially since 1740.

Mature ginger rhizomes are fibrous and nearly dry. The juice from ginger roots is often used as a seasoning in Indian recipes and is a common ingredient of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, and many South Asian cuisines for flavoring dishes such as seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes.

Fresh ginger can be substituted for ground ginger at a ratio of six to one, although the flavors of fresh and dried ginger are somewhat different. Powdered dry ginger root is typically used as a flavoring for recipes such as gingerbread, cookies, crackers and cakes, ginger ale, and ginger beer.

Candied ginger, or crystallized ginger, is the root cooked in sugar until soft, and is a type of confectionery.

Fresh ginger may be peeled before eating. For longer-term storage, the ginger can be placed in a plastic bag and refrigerated or frozen.

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy                       1,404 kJ (336 kcal)

Carbohydrates                    71.62 g

Sugars                                   3.39 g

Dietary fiber                                    14.1 g

Fat                                          4.24 g

Protein                                  8.98 g

Vitamins

Thiamine (B1)                      (4%) 0.046 mg

Riboflavin (B2)                    (14%) 0.17 mg

Niacin (B3)                           (64%) 9.62 mg

Pantothenic acid (B5)       (10%) 0.477 mg

Vitamin B6                           (48%) 0.626 mg

Folate (B9)                           (3%) 13 μg

Vitamin C                              (1%) 0.7 mg

Vitamin E                              (0%) 0.0 mg

Minerals

Calcium                                 (11%) 114 mg

Iron                                        (152%) 19.8 mg

Magnesium                          (60%) 214 mg

Manganese                          (1586%) 33.3 mg

Phosphorus                         (24%) 168 mg

Potassium                             (28%) 1320 mg

Sodium                                  (2%) 27 mg

Zinc                                        (38%) 3.64 mg

Possible health benefits of gingerstem of ginger

Ginger has been used for its medicinal properties for centuries.

Consuming fruits and vegetables of all kinds has long been associated with a reduced

risk of many lifestyle-related health conditions.

Many studies have suggested that increasing consumption of plant foods like ginger decreases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and overall mortality while promoting a healthy complexion and hair, increased energy and overall lower weight.

1) Digestive issues

The phenolic compounds in ginger are known to help relieve gastrointestinal irritation, stimulate saliva and bile production and suppress gastric contractions and movement of food and fluids through the GI tract.

2) Nausea

Chewing raw ginger or drinking ginger tea is a common home remedy for nausea during cancer treatment.

Cup of ginger tea

Ginger tea can help relieve nausea and aid cold recovery.

Pregnant women experiencing morning sickness can safely use ginger to relieve nausea and vomiting, often in the form of ginger lozenges or candies.

During cold weather, drinking ginger tea is good way to keep warm. It is diaphoretic, which means that it promotes sweating, working to warm the body from within. As such, in the wake of a cold, ginger tea is particularly useful.

To make ginger tea at home, slice 20-40 g of fresh ginger and steep in a cup of hot water. Adding a slice of lemon or a drop of honey adds flavor and additional benefits, including vitamin C and antibacterial properties.

3) Pain reduction

A study involving 74 volunteers carried out at the University of Georgia found that

daily ginger supplementation reduced exercise-induced muscle pain by 25%.

Ginger has also been found to reduce the symptoms of dysmenorrhea (severe pain during a menstrual cycle). In one study, 83% of women taking ginger capsules reported improvements in pain symptoms compared to 47% of those on placebo.

4) Inflammation

Ginger has been used for centuries to reduce inflammation and treat inflammatory conditions.

A study published in Cancer Prevention Research journal found that a ginger root supplement administered to volunteer participants reduced inflammation markers in the colon within a month. Researchers on the study explained that by decreasing inflammation, the risk of colon cancer is also likely to decrease. Ginger has also shown promise in clinical trials for treating inflammation associated with osteoarthritis.

Quick tips:

Add fresh ginger into your next smoothie or juice

Add fresh or dried ginger to your next stir-fry or homemade salad dressing

Steep peeled fresh ginger in boiling water to make your own ginger tea

Use fresh or dried ginger to spice up any fish recipe.

What is the use of ginger?

It can be used fresh, dried and powdered, or as a juice or oil. Ginger is commonly used to treat various types of “stomach problems,” including motion sickness, morning sickness, colic, upset stomach, gas, diarrhea, nausea caused by cancer treatment, nausea and vomiting after surgery, as well as loss of appetite.

Is Ginger a good laxative?

There is some anecdotal evidence that ginger helps keep you regular, or acts as a laxative. However, it is not as reliable as other all-natural herbs and spices that are known to get things moving. Because it helps to cleanse your digestive tract, it can also lead to more frequent bowel movements.

Is Ginger good for an upset stomach?

Anyone who has ever soothed an upset stomach with a glass of ginger ale knows that ginger is also a helpful digestive. Sipping ginger tea or chewing on fresh ginger helps digest heavy foods or hearty meals, and children may chew on ginger to ease a stomachache or to relieve motion sickness.

Is Ginger good for pregnant women?

Ginger reduces cholesterol level, which reduces the risks of a high cholesterol level during pregnancy. If you are suffering from morning sickness and nausea, you can expect relief by taking ginger. Ginger is effective for treating common colds, minor ailments and persistent coughs.

Ginger lassi

A savoury lassi – ginger-spiked in this case – is both warming and refreshing. You can drink them at breakfast time, but they are equally handy for quelling fiery curries. If you'd prefer a sweet version, swap the cumin seeds and salt for a pinch of ground cardamom and sweeten with jaggery, honey or brown sugar.

Serves 2

1 tsp cumin seeds

200ml natural yoghurt

200ml cold water

A handful of ice

1 heaped tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

A pinch of salt

1 Toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan then crush in a mortar and pestle.

2 Blend everything in a liquidiser and serve in tall glasses.

Sweet potato and ginger soup

This is a wonderful, zingy soup that balances sweet with sour, richness with sharpness. It's one for a murky winter's day, or a hazy autumn afternoon.

Serves 4

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 red onions, sliced

1½ tbsp fresh root ginger, grated

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1½ litres chicken stock or water

150ml double cream

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp maple syrup

Juice of ½ lime

Method

1 Melt the butter in a large pan and sweat the onions until they're starting to soften.

2 Add the ginger and cook until aromatic. Add the potato and stir until it becomes slightly shiny.

3 Add the stock or water. Cook for 30 minutes, or until you can mash the potatoes easily against the side of the pan.

4 Blitz in the pan using a hand-held blender, until you get a nice smooth consistency.

5 Stir in the cream, soy sauce and maple syrup and squeeze in the lime juice. Season to taste.

Stem ginger and spice ice cream

Stem ginger and spice ice-cream, recipe adapted from Good Tempered Food by Tamasin Day-Lewis. Photograph: Yuki Sugiura for the Guardian

An ice-cream full of warming spices that works particularly well with crumble. The finely chopped chunks of ginger add texture, but you may prefer a smooth ice-cream.

Serves 6-8

450ml whole milk

2 vanilla pods, split with seeds scraped out

6 egg yolks

170g unrefined caster sugar

600ml double cream (or 300ml each of creme fraiche and double cream)

8 pieces of stem ginger, 2 very finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger syrup

6 cloves, crushed

Cinnamon bark, crushed

Method

1 Heat the milk and vanilla to just below boiling, stirring constantly.

2 Put your egg yolks and sugar in a bowl then whisk into the milk and vanilla pod and seeds.

3 Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a low heat, whisking as you go, until it thickens perceptibly. Don't allow the mixture to boil – you don't want it to curdle.

4 As soon as the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the cream and creme fraiche. In a separate bowl, crush the cloves and cinnamon.

5 Whizz the mixture in the blender with 6 balls of stem ginger, the syrup and ½ tsp of the cinnamon and clove mixture, tasting as you go. The ginger should dominate, but with a musky breath of spice.

6 Churn in an ice-cream maker for 30 minutes, then add the chopped stem ginger. If you don't have an ice-cream maker, you can also successfully make this in your freezer. Turn your freezer on high, place the mixture in a metal container and freeze. Stir the setting walls of the ice-cream into the middle of the container after the first hour, and then again an hour or two later, to prevent crystals forming, add the chopped ginger then leave in the freezer to firm up.

Stir Fried Green Beans with Ginger and Onions Recipe

Ingredients

2 to 3 Tbsp canola or other high smoke point oil

1/2 pound to 3/4 pound of fresh, tender, crisp green beans, cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces

1 small yellow or white onion, sliced root to stem (see how to slice an onion), about 1 cup of sliced onion

1 ounce of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks (see how to peel and cut ginger)

1 large garlic clove, sliced very thin

2 Tbsp soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce for gluten-free version)

1 Tbsp sugar

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

A generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Heat oil in a wok until shimmery hot: Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat on the hottest burner you have for about 90 seconds. Add the vegetable oil and let it heat up until shimmery.

(Toss a sliver of onion into the oil when you think it's hot. If the oil is hot enough, the onion will sizzle.)

2 Add green beans, onions, ginger, then garlic: Add the cut green beans, sliced onions and julienned ginger and toss to combine. Break up any clumps of sliced onion that might have stuck together. Spread everything out in the pan and let it sear untouched for anywhere from 30-90 seconds, you want to get a little browning on the vegetables. Stir the vegetables and let sit for another 30-90 seconds.

Add the sliced garlic, stir again and cook for another minute.

3 Add mixture of soy sauce and sugar, stir fry a few seconds: Mix the soy sauce and sugar together and pour into the pan. Turn off the heat and immediately toss the vegetables to combine. The sauce will start to caramelize and may burn unless you keep everything moving for a few seconds.

4 Add sesame oil and black pepper: Pour the sesame oil over the green beans and onions and sprinkle with black pepper. Toss to combine one more time. Serve immediately or let rest and serve at room temperature. The beans should still be somewhat crisp. They will cook a little more in the residual heat of the pan or serving dish.