The History of Ginger

While often referred to as “ginger root,” the ginger we consume is actually the dried, knobby rhizome of the Zingiber officinale plant. (Rhizomes are stems that grow horizontally underground.) It gets its pungent, hot flavor from the compound gingerol. Indigenous to Southern China, ginger is now grown in several countries all around the world, with the top producers being India, China, and Nigeria. Ginger has been in use as a digestive aid and anti-nausea remedy as far back as 5,000 years ago in China. It was also used by the ancient Greeks, who would wrap ginger in bread and eat it after meals as a digestive aid. In Medieval Europe, ginger was baked into bread and confections as a digestif, and during the Elizabethan Age, Queen Elizabeth I herself reportedly created the gingerbread man, which became especially popular during Christmas. In the 1600s, the Spanish conquerors established ginger plantations in Jamaica. While earlier versions date to around 1850, modern ginger ale was created in 1907 by Canadian pharmacist John J. McLaughlin and became especially popular during the Prohibition Era in America. Ginger also has a long history of culinary use in many cultures. For example, it is used regularly in Chinese, Thai, Indian, and Japanese dishes. It also plays a key role in baking in Western cuisine, including English cakes, Dutch cookies (such as speculaas), and American pumpkin pies. Today, ginger is one of the most-used spices in the world.