Ginger (Zingiberis officinalis)

Ginger, like garlic, is a popular culinary herb with lots of medicinal
benefits. It originally comes to us from Asia, and most of the ginger found in
North America is grown in Jamaica. Fresh ginger is warming, while dried
ginger is hot. Because of this we use them for different purposes, with more
caution being used with dried ginger, as it is more heating. The following
information pertains more to fresh ginger than dried.
Quality ginger is firm and vibrant looking. If ginger at your store is
wrinkled or soft, request that fresher ginger be made available. You can peel
the papery white sheath that covers the ginger by scraping it with a spoon.
Oftentimes I wash the root and leave the skin intact.
Ginger tea is often drunk after meals in India to help with the digestive
process. Anytime a meal doesn’t sit right with me, I reach for ginger tea and
any digestive disturbances are calmed quickly. It’s the herb of choice for any
kind of motion sickness. When making first aid kits for those who often get car
sickness I include ginger candy and ginger tincture; both work quickly to quell
the nausea.
Ginger is a fabulous herb of choice for when you have a cold and you
feel cold. This winter when it was below freezing outside and upon waking
only 300 F inside our wood stove-heated cabin, ginger chai tea was a favorite
of mine to keep my circulation moving and warming me from the inside out.
Ginger can calm spasms, making it a great ally for women with
menstrual cramping. I like making a ginger chai tea with crampbark to ease
my menstrual pains.
 It also can reduce pain receptors and is often used by
those with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis to reduce pain. Herbalist
Steven Buhner recommends cooled ginger tea as an external wash for burns.
Not only does it prevent infection, it also acts as a pain reliever.
Ginger is a powerful antimicrobial, which is why, like garlic, it has been
traditionally used in cooking to help preserve foods and keep them safe for
eating. We regularly add ginger to our meals, especially those involving meat.

These antimicrobial properties, along with its warming, expectorant and
diaphoretic tendencies, indicate a wonderful herb for colds and the flu. The
following tea recipe is common for the cold and flu season.

Ginger Tea

Grate a half inch of fresh ginger using a cheese grater, or mince finely
with a knife. Place in a mug.

Fill the mug with boiling water and cover. Let stand for 15 – 20
minutes.

Squeeze some fresh lemon juice into the mug, and add honey to taste.
I don’t strain off the ginger; instead, I munch on the little pieces.

You can also do a decoction of ginger root for a stronger brew.

 

 

 

 

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