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A few spices can add that little spice to life
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It's hard to overstate the historic and culinary importance of spices. For centuries, they were valued not only for flavoring but also as antimicrobial preservatives and medicines. The demand for spices was a driving force in world exploration and the development of international trade. One of the most prized and most widely appreciated of all spices is ginger. From its
home in southern Asia, the use and cultivation of the pungent root spread through China and India before the rise of the Roman empire. Millennia later, from the sauerbraten of northern Europe to the tagines of Africa, it is hard to think of a world cuisine that doesn't make use of ginger.
Like all spices, ginger isn't consumed in large enough quantities to contribute appreciable protein, fat or carbohydrate, vitamins or minerals. A tablespoon of grated fresh ginger has just 4 calories - not even worth thinking about. Those calories come from the 1 gram of carbohydrate the ginger contains. It has no protein or fat to speak of. It does have some fiber, but I couldn't find an exact count. The only vitamins and minerals you'll get are 1 percent of your vitamin C and 1 percent of your potassium. You will, of course, get a big, gorgeous whack of bright, warm flavor.
But you will also get considerable medicinal value. Take a look.
n Ginger is well-known for its stomach-settling properties. One clinical test found it to be more effective than Dramamine for preventing motion sickness. Traditional Chinese medicine has long used ginger for treating morning sickness, and it has been shown effective for treating the worst sort of pregnancy-related nausea.
n Ginger is anti-inflammatory. A 2001 study in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism found that ginger extract reduced the symptoms of pain and stiffness in arthritic knees.
n Indian studies of ginger show promise in fighting cancer. Scientists deliberately induced colon cancers in rats, giving some rats ginger and withholding it from others. Both the incidence of cancer and the number of tumors were "significantly decreased" in the group that was given ginger. It also inhibits an enzyme called COX-1, and by doing so may fight ovarian cancer. The same COX-1 inhibiting property also makes ginger act as a blood
thinner.
I had the good fortune to work for five years with a Chinese doctor skilled in traditional medicine. She recommended treating colds and fevers by enhancing the body's germ-fighting fever mechanism. She recommended ginger tea, along with bundling up, to induce sweating. Interestingly, a powerful antimicrobial substance has been identified in sweat.
To make ginger tea, place 1 teaspoon of ground, dried ginger or a tablespoon of minced or grated fresh ginger in a cup. Pour on boiling water, let it steep for a few minutes, sweeten if you like and sip.
I keep both ground, dried ginger and ginger root on hand - ground ginger for baking and ginger root for most other uses. Ginger root keeps well in a zipper-type bag in the freezer. Don't bother thawing it when you need it. Just peel as much of the end as you need, grate it on the fine side of your box grater or with a microplane grater, and return the rest to the freezer.
I often use jarred, grated ginger root. It tastes good, and it's certainly quicker than grating my own. You may find this in the international foods aisle or in the produce section, depending on the store. Some brands have added sugar or corn syrup, so read labels.
Ginger is just one of many ingredients that gives this Southeast
Asian-inspired salad its exotic flavor.
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