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Aphrodisiac. Through many centuries and throughout civilizations, ginger and its pungent taste were considered to be aphrodisiac. It heats your insides, stimulates circulation while its intense scent wakens olfactory glands.
Bread. Gingerbread was introduced in Europe by Armenian monk Gregory Nicopolis in 992 . He is the one who taught French priests how to make the sweet dough using spices such as ginger, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.
Cocktail. The spice is greatly used in making cocktails with or without alcohol. Just think of the Shirley Temple which was invented in Hawaii to honor the female actor in the 1930s. The main ingredient of the Shirley Temple is Ginger Ale, a soft ginger drink. There is also the trendy Cranberry&ginger fizz with ginger syrup, ginger beer and rum.
Donoghue v Stevenson. A ginger beer bottle has been the cause of a legal debate, a lawsuit that changed British legislation forever by introducing the concept of "negligence": the Donoghue against Stevenson case was based on the fact that Miss Donoghue had found a dead grass snake in her bottle back in 1928.
E-juice. Ginger is also used to aromatize the liquid in electronic cigarettes.
Fiji. Ginger from the Fiji island is famous for having less fiber and being rich in oleoresin which makes its smell very unique. The local industries were shut down during the 80s and 90s due to a parasite that killed the plants, but they are now back in business.
Ginger Rogers. An Italian entrepreneur and great admirer of dancer Ginger Rogers created the ginger drink. It's different than British Ginger Ale because it has orange extract within its ingredients.
Hot. Ginger is a pungent and hot spice that becomes even stronger with time. If cooked, the strong taste softens a little. If you dry it or crush it, it tastes different.
Island. You can't cultivate ginger on Ginger Island because it doesn't have any habitants. The uncontaminated paradise in the British Islands is now on the market for 11.2 million GBP.
Jake. It was short for Jamaica Ginger, the first medicine made out of ginger to receive a patent. It wasn't seen in a good light and thought of as a potential source of alcohol during Prohibitionism because of its 70 or 80% ethanol intake. A Professor from MIT switched the adulterant with a phosphate called TOCP which made it extremely harmful on the nervous system. In the 30s the jack walk defined the victims of this medicine who no longer had arms or legs or even control over their muscles.
Korean. Ginger is a crucial ingredient of Korean cuisine as well as of Japanese and Chinese cuisines. Korea's national dish is the kimchi - a side of fermented vegetables (fermented for months) - and it's made with ginger. The popular Saengang Cha is also a local version of ginger tea.
Lime. Lime and lemon are good accompaniments to ginger in the kitchen, their penetrating taste is very similar. From chicken to sponge cake, from shakes to linguine, it sometimes also mixes with garlic.
Middle Age. Ginger has been around for at least 3000 years in India and China (first and second producers in the world), in the 19th century it became more popular among rich European people who used it as much as salt on their tables.
Nausea. The antiemetic quality of ginger is recognized worldwide. It's used against motion and morning sickness.
Oils. Ginger's aroma comes from the essential oils in its rhizome (the root), particularly from gingerol, zingerone and shogaoli, other than oleoresin which gives it a pungent taste and the essential oil used in perfumes.
Pickled. The most famous pickled ginger is Japanese. The gary is a not yet mature ginger marinated with vinegar and sugar: it's a traditional accompaniment to sushi and sashimi.
Queen Elisabeth I. Apparently the gingerbread man recipe, a classic English Christmas recipe also popular in Northern America, was invented by Queen Elisabeth I. She used to offer it to foreign diplomats.
Romans. Thyme, cumin, pepper, crocus and other ingredients are with ginger the ultimate spices cited on the sal conditus, eaten as dessert and used to digest during Roman times.
Spit. Ginger's stalks - although less than what's found in the ryzhome - contain essential oils and other active ingredients responsible for its pungent taste. It's mostly used for making spits, especially with fish.
Tsitsibíra. It's Greek for ginger beer which was originally produced in Great Britain starting the second half of the 18th century. It was imported to Greece by the British army during the course of the century. It's still one of Corfu's local specialties whereas its non-alcoholic version remains the most popular one in the rest of the world.
Universal Medicine. Considered a universal medicine in Ayurveda, ginger's many medicinal properties, including digestive ones, are also acknowledged by traditional Western medicine.
Vindaloo. Is one of the many Indian dishes showcasing the star ingredient. It's a curry from the region of Goa, but the dish actually has Portuguese origins. It's been a source of inspiration to many songs including the song written for the French World Cup by the Fat Les in 1998.
Wine. The first version of ginger wine appeared in London when The Finsbury Distillery Company was founded in 1940. This type of wine - very popular in the 19th century because people believed it prevented cholera during the epidemic – made by fermenting marinated ginger and raisins, is to this day used as a base for the“Whisky Mac”, a cocktail with Scottish whisky and ginger wine.
Xxx. Ginger stimulates the libido and is used together with eleuterococco to this purpose. The combination comes from the ancient method of using the root in the equine market. It stimulated the animal to move and hid its old age.
Yang. Ginger is a great yang tonic which boosts energy, increases body temperature and vitality.
Zinziberaceae. It's the family of plants to which ginger belongs, same as cardamom, turmeric and galangal. Ginger, Zingiber officinale, comes from the Far East and is now produced in tropical and subtropical countries where it's used as an ornament thanks to its beautiful flowers.
