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Ginger is the Herb of the Year for 2023 – and deservedly so! Hot and spicy with a warm tinge of sweetness, it is key to classic Asian stir fries, soups, and curries, and widely used in baking and beverages. Who has not devoured freshly baked gingerbread cookies or savoured a cold ginger ale on a hot summer day
More than 2,500 years ago the Chinese philosopher Confucius insisted on having ginger with every meal as an aid for digestion. Traders plying the trade routes between India and Europe brought ginger to the Ancient Greeks and Romans, who used it to season boiled meats. It seems wherever ginger went it was enthusiastically embraced and incorporated into the local cuisine. One wonders too if the romantic arts had something to do with its early popularity because ginger is known to freshen the breath by supplying an enzyme that breaks down foul-smelling substances in the mouth.
But ginger is not just the familiar rhizome used in cooking, baking, and beverages: it is a large family of plants – the Zingiberaceae – that includes other spicy staples of the kitchen such as cardamom, turmeric and galangal – and many more useful but lesser known plants.
Common among the gingers is a hot pungent effect on the tongue and in the nose. Chemicals called gingerols are mainly responsible, and these same gingerols have potent anti- inflammatory, antifungal, and anticancer effects, and are known to protect nerves and the digestive system. It’s no wonder that gingers in one form or another are consumed daily by billions around the world.
All gingers are from the tropics. With some effort they can be grown in containers indoors or outdoors in summer. Their lush foliage, spectacular flowers, and spicy scents are well worth the effort. Why not try a few this year? Below are some of the most important and most loved ginger varieties available from Richters.