Our top 10 most interesting facts about ginger:
- The concentration of the essential oils found in ginger increases as ginger ages therefore it is recommended that ginger oil not be extracted from ginger until it has been harvested for a minimum of 9 months.
- In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries a pound of ginger was equivalent to the cost of a sheep.
- When ginger is pickled in sweet vinegar it turns the colour pink which is often seen in sushi.
- The root of ginger is more pungent therefore is utilised in spices.
- Queen Elizabeth I of England has been credited with the invention of the gingerbread man.
- The top five countries that produce the most ginger is India (producing 34.6%), China (producing 19.1%), Nepal (10.6%), Nigeria (7.8%) and Thailand (7.5%).
- Ginger is mentioned in the Bible, Koran and the Talmud.
- Ginger is not actually a root, it’s a rhizome. A rhizome is a defined as an underground plant stem which is able to produce root and shoot systems of a new plant.
- Ginger possesses a therapeutic action called a sialagogue which is responsible for stimulating saliva production.
- Ground ginger root has a higher nutritional value than raw ginger root.
