Sore throat? Have some Ginger tea. Hungry? Have some Ginger bread. Want to lose weight? Have a ginger-based concoction. 

The Ginger is believed to have originated in India (although some say it is a native of China). It was a favourite of Ayurvedic masters, who called it “mahabheshaj”, meaning the universal doctor and “Mahaoushadhi” meaning the greatest medicine.

Traders took the herb around the world but it’s scientific name Zingiber Officinale, originates from its Sanskrit one — Singabera. The English word Ginger originates from this too. 

Ginger is a perennial herb, with underground branching rhizomes (stems) that are swollen and tough. Its leaves and rhizomes have a characteristic fragrance when cut or burnished.

Today India is the largest grower of Ginger and the largest producer of dry Ginger in the world. Kerala, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Bengal are important Ginger-growing states although Kerala alone accounts for 25 per cent of the country's total production.

Climate and soil: Ginger grows well in warm and humid climates. Moderate rainfall is ideal from the time of sowing till the sprouting of rhizomes and well-distributed showers are healthy during its growing period. Dry weather is best for about a month before harvesting.

A rich soil with good drainage and aeration is suitable for ginger cultivation. It grows well in loamy soil, particularly in sandy loam. Good drainage is necessary for the prevention of diseases.
Ginger is a very hungry, tropical crop. So voracious is it that it exhausts the soil and a ginger crop cannot be followed by another ginger crop at the same site year after year.

Soil preparation: The land should be brought to fine tilth during February or March, subject to the availability of pre-monsoon showers. The bed should be of convenient length, usually 3-5m, 1.2m width and a spacing of 40cm between beds is suitable.

Propagation: In most areas, local varieties of ginger are used for cultivation. In Bengal varieties like Gurubathan, Mali, Maran and Tura are suggested. Ginger is always propagated by cutting well-developed, healthy and disease-free rhizomes known as seed rhizome or sets.

Planting: During field preparation, a basal dose of farm yard manure (5kg per sq. meter) should be spread over the bed and mixed with the soil. Ginger is generally planted in April. 

Small pits are made with a hand hoe at a distance of 30 to 45cm and pits are filled with well-decomposed cattle manure or compost. The planting is then done by placing the rhizomes.

After care: Mulch the crop immediately after planting with green leaves. Repeat mulching 50 days after weeding. This will enhance good germination, rhizome growth, reduces weed growth, increase soil organic matter and conserve soil moisture.

Ginger is generally grown as a rain-fed crop. However, depending upon the soil moisture, supplementary watering should be done as and when the bed appears to be dry.

Harvesting: Ginger is ready for harvesting in seven to eight months. The variety will determine when the leaves turn yellow and start drying. If the crop is for green ginger it would have to be harvested in five to six months. 

Wash the rhizomes thoroughly in water to remove the soil and dirt and sun-dry for a day. For dry ginger, the outer skin is to be removed using the thin film on bamboo sticks. 

Since the essential oil of ginger remains near the skin, only the outer skin is to be removed and dried in the sun for a week.

Medicinal use: Ayurvedic masters prescribed Ginger for everything from obesity and skin diseases to indigestion, loss of appetite and tumours. It helped cure fevers, shivering, cough, cold and respiratory disorders.

In colder climates, Ginger keeps cold-aggravated pains at bay. 

Culinary use: Ginger is available in two forms — fresh and dried. As the taste of Ginger is not very palatable it is a carefully added flavour. 

In western countries, it is widely used to make gingerbread, biscuits, cakes, puddings, soups and pickles. It is a common constituent of curry powder. The essential oil from the rhizomes is used in the perfumery too.
As for non-vegetarians, ginger-garlic paste is an essential ingredient in virtually all meat dishes as it helps digest proteins.

Legend has it that natives of the United Kingdom once brewed a non-alcoholic beverage that they called Ginger Wine.
In the following issues, we shall discuss ways to grow Mango Ginger (Amada), an important ingredient in our cuisine and Red Ginger, which is used in landscaping for its colourful flowers.