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Ginger
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Where does ginger come from?
Ginger is a pungent, aromatic spice produced from the rhizome (an underground stem) of a tropical herbaceous plant, Zingiber officinale, which is possibly native to South-East Asia. It was one of the first oriental spices to arrive in Europe, obtained by the Greeks and Romans from Arab traders. Other spices in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) include cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) and turmeric (Curcuma domestica).
How is ginger used?
In this country the spice is often used as a powder, produced by drying and grinding the rhizome. In Asia, however, the fresh rhizome is an essential ingredient of many dishes. Preserved ginger is produced by boiling the rhizome in sugar syrup, and crystallised ginger, so popular at Christmas, is preserved ginger which has been dried and coated with sugar. An essential oil produced from the rhizome is a constituent of spicy colognes, and a substance called oleoresin, which retains the pungency and aroma of the original spice, is used to flavour ginger beer and ginger ale.
What does the plant look like?
The ginger plant looks rather like a tall grass; its shoots (pseudostems), up to 1 m in height, arise annually from buds on the rhizome. These pseudostems are formed from a series of leaf bases (sheaths) wrapped tightly around one another with the long thin leaf blades arranged alternately. The flowering heads, borne on separate shorter stems, are cone-shaped and composed of a series of yellowish leaf-like bracts. Protruding just beyond the outer edge of the bracts, the flowers are pale yellow in colour with a purplish lip. The rhizome is a thickened branched structure looking somewhat like a hand. It has a brown corky layer (usually removed before use) and a pale yellow centre with a spicy lemon-like scent.
Where is it grown commercially?
Ginger probably originated as part of the ground flora of tropical lowland forests, where many of its wild relatives can still be found. In cultivation it requires hot, humid, shady conditions and grows best in a fertile loam as it needs large quantities of soil nutrients. Large crops of ginger are grown in India, Jamaica (the major source of ground ginger), China, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Australia.
Can ginger be grown in this country?
Pieces of the fresh rhizome will grow if planted in a well-drained compost. Until the first shoot appears, the compost should be kept moist and then, while the plants are growing strongly, they should be kept well watered. High temperatures, at least 24°C, are necessary, as is high humidity. As the leaves start to die, towards the end of the year, watering should be reduced and the rhizomes allowed to dry out. It is unlikely that the rhizomes will be suitable for cooking or that the plants will flower.
Where is ginger grown at Kew?
Various members of the ginger family are grown in the hot moist section of the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Zingiber officinale can be seen in the Palm House amongst other plants from South-East Asia.
Additional sources of information
Beckett, K. A., 1987. The RHS Encyclopedia of House Plants, Century Hutchison
Cobley, L.S., 1976. An Introduction to the Botany of Tropical Crops, Longman
Purseglove, J. S., Brown, E. G., Green, C. L., and Robbins, S. R. J., 1981. Spices, Vol. 2, Longman Tropical Agriculture Series
Keesing, J. L. S., 1988. Useful Plants. In: Kew Gardens Book of Indoor Plants, ed. J.B. Simmonds, pp. 186-213, George Philip
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