Power Food

{ POWER FOOD } The Joy of Ginger

This plant won’t win any beauty contests, but for centuries it’s been a tasty food ingredient—and a medication.

The knobby-looking brown ginger root has a venerable history, a distinctive mellow-sweet taste and a host of health benefits. Sprawling out from the Far East, this tangy product of the plant Zingiber officinale has been a part of the culinary world in Asia for thousands of years (Confucius reputedly consumed ginger at every meal), as well as an abundant presence in medicine in Japan, China and India since the 1500s.

Ginger—the word derives from the Sanskrit term “srngaveram” or “horn body”—is called a root, but is technically a rhizome, which means it grows horizontally underground, not straight down. Ginger was brought from Asia in the spice trade; Spanish explorers introduced it to South America, so that region could in turn export ginger back to Europe. Europeans’ enthusiastic reception of the valuable import allowed them to get creative, flavoring their food and innovating. It’s said that Queen Elizabeth I invented the gingerbread man, now renowned as a holiday treat.

Because of the cost of importing it and the labor of harvesting it, ginger became a prized commodity among the wealthy. In fact, in medieval England one pound of the spice derived from the ginger root could reportedly be traded for one whole live sheep—of course, that needs to be adjusted for inflation.

POWER UP

Ginger root has historically been used to combat nausea, and sometimes to fight cold and flu symptoms. It’s rich in the minerals potassium (more than bananas!) and magnesium, and it contains vitamins B and C (though these vitamins are heat-sensitive and can be destroyed in cooking). Its main bioactive ingredient is gingerol, which is known for beneficial anti-inflammatory properties. Indeed, a 2011 study of mice and rats in Cancer Prevention Research indicated that, compared with a placebo group, a ginger-eating group showed lower levels of inflammatory markers in “gut tissue…highly associated with developing precancerous polyps, or cancerous polyps,” as a researcher explained. An older study found that sailors who’d consumed ginger had substantially fewer symptoms of seasickness than those who hadn’t. Ginger also has phytochemicals, which aid the gastrointestinal system in regulating itself and expelling toxins.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, says that while research does support ginger’s efficacy for mild pregnancy-associated nausea, “most studies of ginger for motion sickness haven’t shown it to be helpful,” and the jury’s still out on its use for postoperative nausea. Meanwhile, the University of Maryland Medical Center advises that adults shouldn’t take more than four grams per day, children less. If you’re using ginger root for medical purposes, of course, check first with your doctor.

BUY/STORE/SERVE

You’ll find ginger in most grocery store produce sections—look for solid pieces with smooth skin. Wrinkling or crackling may indicate age, and age matters. The younger ginger roots you find can be cut thin and are slightly tender in texture. The older the root gets, the more oils it develops and the tougher and spicier it becomes.

Because ginger has so much potential, you really need to know what you’re looking for. If it’s just a bit of spice or snap to what you’re eating, you may wish to go with the spice and avoid the labor of cutting it from the root itself. But if you’re crafty and know what you’re doing in the kitchen, getting ginger by the fresh root does allow you more of the health benefits, as well as a fresher flavor.

Leftovers stored in a tightly sealed plastic bag can keep for up to eight weeks in the refrigerator. With sliced pieces, the freezer usually does a better job of maintaining quality. When cutting, use a paring knife with considerable caution or, failing that, the edge of a spoon. This’ll allow you to take off the skin of the root, so you’ve got nothing but the meat of the ginger in your preferred dish or drink.

You can treat ginger as you would any vegetable, chopping it, mincing, even julienning. If steeped in hot water with a bit of honey, it makes a nice tea. Ginger pickled in sugar and vinegar can be offered as gari, a palate cleanser between dishes, Japanese in origin. It thrives as a garnish, especially for steamed vegetables. The possibilities are legion, as are this food’s many claims to fame. Ginger ale, ginger beer, gingerbread or ginger snaps, anyone? —Brian Kelley

DID YOU KNOW? You can plant ginger yourself from the roots you find in any grocery store. Cut it into ½-inch pieces, soak it in water and then let it sit for a day or two to callous before planting.