Ginger Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Zingiber officinale

Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Zingiberales
Family:	Zingiberaceae
Genus:	Zingiber
Species:	Z. officinale
Binomial name
*Zingiber officinale* Roscoe

Ginger is a popular spice used in cooking all over the world. It comes from the root (called a rhizome) of a plant named Zingiber officinale. This plant is a perennial, meaning it lives for more than two years. Ginger belongs to the Zingiberaceae family.

Ginger plants have been grown for a very long time. They are thought to have first come from China. From there, ginger spread to India, Southeast Asia, West Africa, and the Caribbean. Besides being a spice, the word "ginger" can also describe a reddish-brown color, like in ginger hair.

Where Ginger Comes From
How Ginger Grows
How We Use Ginger
- Ginger Around the World
Ginger Production
Images for kids
See also

Where Ginger Comes From

Ginger probably first grew in the warm, wet forests of places like the Indian subcontinent and southern Asia. These areas are still some of the biggest producers of ginger today, including India and China. You can still find many wild types of ginger plants in these regions. They also grow in other warm or subtropical parts of the world, such as Hawaii, Japan, Australia, and Malaysia.

How Ginger Grows

Ginger field

The ginger plant produces pretty clusters of white and pink flower buds. These buds open into yellow flowers. Because it looks nice and grows well in warm places, ginger is often used in landscaping around homes in subtropical areas.

Ginger is a perennial plant that looks a bit like a reed. Its leafy stems grow about 1 meter (3 to 4 feet) tall each year. Farmers usually harvest the ginger root when the plant's stalk starts to wither. After harvesting, the root is often washed and scraped. This stops it from sprouting again.

How We Use Ginger

Ginger plant with flower

Ginger crop, hills near Kalaw, Myanmar

Ginger gives a warm, spicy flavor to food. Young ginger roots are juicy and soft with a mild taste. People often pickle them in vinegar or sherry to eat as a snack. They can also be cooked in many dishes. You can even steep young ginger in hot water to make a herb tea, sometimes with honey added. Ginger can also be made into candy or ginger wine.

Older ginger roots are more fibrous and drier. The juice from fresh ginger roots is often used to season Indian recipes. It's also a common ingredient in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, and many South Asian dishes. It adds flavor to seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes.

You can use fresh ginger instead of ground ginger. About six parts fresh ginger equals one part ground ginger. But remember, their flavors are a bit different! Dry powdered ginger root is often used to flavor baked goods like gingerbread, cookies, crackers, and cakes. It's also in drinks like ginger ale and ginger beer.

Candied ginger, also called crystallized ginger, is made by cooking the root in sugar until it's soft. It's a type of confectionery. You might peel fresh ginger before eating it. To keep ginger fresh longer, put it in a plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator or freezer.

Ginger Around the World

Fresh ginger rhizome

Two varieties of ginger

Gari, a type of pickled ginger

Ginger is used in many different ways across the globe:

In Indian cuisine, ginger is a very important ingredient. It's used in thick gravies and many other dishes, both with vegetables and meat. Ginger is also part of traditional Ayurvedic medicine. It's found in Indian drinks, like spiced masala chai. Fresh ginger and garlic are often crushed together to make a paste called ginger garlic masala.
In Japan, ginger is pickled to make beni shoga and gari. It's also grated raw on tofu or noodles. A candy called shoga no sato zuke is also made from ginger.
In Korea, ginger is finely chopped or juiced for kimchi. It's added to the spicy paste before the fermenting process.
In Burma, ginger is called gyin. It's used a lot in cooking and traditional medicines. People also eat a ginger salad called gyin-thot.
In Indonesia, a drink called wedang jahe is made from ginger and palm sugar. Ground ginger root, called jahe, is a common ingredient in many local recipes.
In Malaysia, ginger is called halia and is used in many soups and other dishes.
In the Philippines, ginger is called luya. It's a common ingredient in local dishes and is brewed into a tea called salabat.
In China, sliced or whole ginger root is often cooked with savory dishes like fish. Chopped ginger is commonly paired with meat. Candied ginger is sometimes found in Chinese candy boxes. A herbal tea can also be made from ginger.
In the Caribbean, ginger is a popular spice for cooking. It's also used to make drinks like sorrel during Christmas. Jamaicans make ginger beer, both as a fizzy drink and fresh at home. Ginger tea is also popular.
On the island of Corfu, Greece, a traditional drink called τσιτσιμπύρα (tsitsibira) is made. It's a type of ginger beer that people learned to make from the British.
In Western cooking, ginger is often used in sweet foods. Examples include ginger ale, gingerbread, ginger snaps, parkin, ginger biscuits, and speculaas. There's also a ginger-flavored liqueur called Canton and Ginger wine from the United Kingdom. Ginger is also added to hot coffee and tea.

Ginger Production

German Ginger wine with stem ginger decoration

In 2014, the world produced about 2.2 million tonnes of raw ginger. India grew the most, making up 30% of the total. Other big producers were China (19%), Nepal (13%), Indonesia (12%), and Thailand (7%).