Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is an herbaceous perennial (flower plant that has lived more than two years) and a rhizome (grows underground). It comes from the Zingiberaceae plant family, including turmeric and cardamom.
The history of ginger dates back over 5000 years when Indian and Chinese medicine started using it as a tonic for many ailments. Although ginger originated in Southeast Asia, it has a long history of being cultivated in many other countries.
From an Ayurvedic perspective, ginger is a superfood, being tri-doshic (suitable for all doshas) when fresh. Still, its powdered state is very heating for the Pitta dosha. Below is their energetics:
Fresh: Pungent & Sweet Taste/Warming in nature and with the overall qualities of being unctuous, heavy, and sattvic.
Dry: Pungent and sweet taste/heating in nature, and its qualities are dry, light, mobile, and penetrating.
The bio-medical actions of ginger include anti-Inflammatory, antiarthritic, lung tonic, appetizer, antiemetic, antispasmodic, carminative, burns ama (toxins), decongestant, detoxicant, digestive, galactagogue, sialogogue, spleen-tonic, stomachic, and vasodilator.
Ginger is beneficial for digestion, respiration, and the joints. It is believed to destroy ama (toxins), enkindle the digestive fire and secretion of digestive enzymes, prevent nausea, stops hiccups, clear phlegm in the lungs, alleviate coughs, colds, and breathing difficulties, reduce inflammation, improve circulation, relieve menstrual cramps and is believed to help with congestive-type cardiac disorders.
Below are a couple of recipes that might interest you.
Ginger Tea
.pdf
Download PDF • 864KB
Ginger Macaroons
.pdf
Download PDF • 1.28MB