Ginger was as valuable as sheep in old England
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Beautiful Botanicals by Joanne Howdle
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a herbaceous perennial flowering botanical, which is widely used as a spice and in traditional medicine.
Ginger originates from the islands of south-east Asia. It is a cultigen and has no known wild ancestors. Ginger was first domesticated by the Austronesian peoples, who revered ginger so strongly that they used it in healing rituals, to ward off evil spirits and to bless their ships before voyages.
It was carried by the Austronesian peoples as canoe plants during the Austronesian expansion circa 1500-1000 BC, when they introduced ginger to the Pacific Islands.
The Austronesian peoples are also believed to have introduced ginger to India along with other south-east Asian food plants and Austronesian sailing technologies. From India, ginger was carried by traders into the Middle East and the Mediterranean during the 1st century AD.
The botanical was one of the first spices to be traded among ancient civilisations.
Ginger is a member of the Zingiberaceae family, which includes Grains of Paradise (Aframomum melegueta) and Green Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) both of which are traditional botanicals used in gin manufacture.
The ginger plant can grow to around 1 metre tall and has long thin leaves and yellow flowers. The spice is produced from the root (rhizome) of the botanical, which is harvested after the stalk withers. The root is scalded or peeled to prevent budding.
The Old English word "gingifer" – where we get the modern word ginger – is first recorded in a text dating from the mid-14th century and probably derives from the Ancient Greek word for ginger which is "zingiberis".
The first written record of ginger comes from the Analects or Selected Sayings of Confucius, an Ancient Chinese book comprising a large collection of ideas and sayings attributed to the Chinese philosopher and his contemporaries and believed to have been written by Confucius’s followers during the period 475-221 BC. In the Analects, Confucius is said to have eaten ginger with every meal to aid digestion.
The botanical is described by the Greek botanist, pharmacologist, physician, and writer Pedanius Dioscorides (circa 40-90 AD) in his five-volume encyclopaedia about herbal medicine and related medicinal substances as a treatment for flu and the common cold; indigestion; joint pain and stiffness, morning sickness and nausea.
In 14th century England ginger was so valued for its medicinal and culinary uses that a pound of ginger cost as much as a sheep. The botanical was recommended to King Henry VIII (1491-1547), as a cure for the bubonic plague.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, (1533-1603) ginger plants were carried on ships to the English colonies in the Caribbean where the botanical could be grown easily and cultivated for the domestic market at a cheaper price than at home. Legend has it that Queen Elizabeth I invented the gingerbread man to give as gifts to Royal courtiers at Christmas.
As a culinary botanical, ginger root can be used fresh, dried, or ground into powder and used to add a warming and spicy, fresh kick to food. Ginger is versatile and is used in hundreds of dishes worldwide including curries, salads, and soups.
Candied ginger root and ground ginger are widely used in confectionary and baking especially in Europe for the manufacture of ginger snaps, speculaas biscuits and gingerbread.
Drinks made from ginger include ginger ale, ginger beer, ginger wine, and ginger liqueur. In gin and rum manufacture ginger is an especially pungent botanical used to add an exotic, spicy peppery character to the spirit.
The botanical is not sweet at all, so is an excellent pallet cleanser which helps to give gin and rum a warming but clean finish.
- Joanne Howdle is interpretation and engagement manager at the multi-award-winning Dunnet Bay Distillers Ltd.
