Ginger

  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 Zingiberacea 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.

Characteristic of Ginger

            

  General Characteristics of Ginger Plants are rod shape in the form of pseudo stem, with a height of 30 cm to 1 m. Ginger rhizome when cut yellow or orange. Pointed leaves elongate, with a length of 15-23 mm and a width of 8-15 mm. Petiole hairy, long 2-4 mm; aloe leaf elongated shape, length 7.5 to 10 mm, and lint.

Flowers grow out of the ground like shoots, egg-shaped or round rod, with a length of interest from 3.5 to 5 cm and a width of 1.5 to 1.75 cm. Flower stalks almost hairless, length 25 cm, rarely hairy; scales on the handle are 5-7 pieces. Bract inverted egg circular, rounded at the ends, not fluffy, bright green, length 2.5 cm, width of 1 to 1.75 cm.

Corolla tubular 2 to 2.5 cm, shaped somewhat pointy, yellow-green, long 1,5 - 2,5 mm, width of 3 - 3.5 mm, lips purple, dark, mottled yellowish white, length of 12-15 mm; purple anthers, length of 9 mm. 

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Monocots

Order: Zingeberales

Family: Zingiberaceae

Genus: Zingiber

Species: Z. officinale

Types of Ginger Plants

Ginger plants are generally known three varieties of ginger, namely:

1. Ginger white / yellow, ginger or ginger sunti

The rhizome is small, slightly flat to slightly bulging. Ginger is always harvested after old age. Content of volatile oils is greater than the ginger, so the taste is more spicy, in addition to high fiber. Ginger is suitable for herbs, or to extract oleoresin and essential oil.   

2. Red Ginger Red rhizomes and smaller than the small white ginger. just as little ginger, red ginger always harvested after the old, and also contains the same essential oil with ginger small, making it suitable for herbs.  

  

3. Ginger white / yellow big, ginger or ginger rhino Rhizome is bigger and fatter, more bulging rhizome segments from the two other varieties. This ginger species bias current consumed either young age or old age, either as fresh ginger or ginger preparations.  

Benefits of Ginger Rhizome 

               Ginger rhizome has been widely known since used as seasoning, flavor concentrates and flavor to foods such as bread, cakes, biscuits, confectionery and beverages. Ginger can also be used in the drug industry, perfume, traditional herbal medicine industry, processed into pickled ginger, made pickles, salad, bandrek, sekoteng and syrup. Besides, there are other processed products in the form of ginger and koresin astiri oil obtained by distillation. Essential oil of ginger is useful as mixing ingredients in alcoholic beverages, ice cream, a mixture of sausage and others
            Ginger can also be made as a biopesticide or natural pesticides. Today farmers use ginger as a pesticide to cope with chilli crop pests.
               The benefits in pharmacology, ginger can also be made as an herbal remedy that works, among others, are as a carminative (laxative fart), anti-vomiting, relief of spasms, anti-hardening of the blood vessels, laxative sweat, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and parasitic, anti pyretic, anti-rheumatic, and stimulate spending gastric juice and bile.

 Questions

1.       The chemical substances inside the ginger that makes ginger feels hot is…

a.       Zingiber

b.      Zingeris

c.       Zingeron

d.      Zingireceae

e.      Zinger

2.       The ginger was exported to Europe and used extensively by…

a.       Germans

b.      Romans

c.       English

d.      France

e.      Netherlands

3.       Pointed leaves can elongates until…

a.       15-24 mm

b.      15-25 mm

c.       16-23 mm

d.      15-23 mm

e.      16-24 mm

4.       The ginger leaves can be used for…

a.       Headache

b.      Toothache

c.       Stomache

d.      Skin whitening

e.      Tooth whitening

5.       Height of ginger plant is between…

a.       35-100 cm

b.      30-95 cm

c.       25-100 cm

d.      30-75 cm

e.      30-100 cm

Keys:

1.       C

2.       B

3.       D

4.       A

5.       E