Ginger
Ginger · ขิง（キング）
Zingiber officinale
“Where RootHerb begins”
| Thai name | ขิง |
|---|---|
| Species | Zingiber officinale |
| Family | Zingiberaceae |
| Part used | Rhizome |
| Aroma | Warm, peppery, spicy |
What is ginger?
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a perennial in the ginger family, called "king (ขิง)" in Thailand. Its spicy aroma and pungency concentrate in the underground rhizome, and In Thailand it is recorded as having been used for colds, headaches, coughs, nausea, and troubles of appetite and digestion. Eastern traditional medicine treats it as a “warming” crude drug, traditionally said to warm the body and encourage sweating. Its pungency comes chiefly from [6]-gingerol, which turns to shogaol as the rhizome dries.
The power held in the root
Unlike green herbs enjoyed for the aroma of their leaves and flowers, ginger has long been thought to concentrate its compounds in the rhizome that slowly stores nutrients underground — making it the most direct embodiment of the RootHerb® idea JRHA advocates.
In the Thai herbal sauna "op samun phrai," steaming ginger fills the room with a warm, spicy aroma. Together with the gentle steam, the local style of alternating warmth and cooling has long been enjoyed. In Thai traditional care — including the postpartum practice of yu fai — the herbal steam bath is reported to have been understood as time to warm the body, raise a sweat, and clear the skin and airways.
Grated into ginger tea or other drinks, or used to flavor cooking. As the RootHerb most woven into daily life in Japan, many turn to it at the change of seasons.
Note: this page introduces the traditions and culture around the plant. It does not guarantee any effect.