Spice India English

Profiling Spices - 3

The Flavor and Wellness from Ginger

Native to south-eastern Asia, ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) , one of the earliest known oriental spice, is being cultivated today on a commercial basis in more than 40 countries for both fresh vegetable and as a dried spice. The wonderful spicy herb, renowned since millennia finds splendid uses in a broad spectrum of cookeries. Aromatic, pungent and spicy, ginger adds a special flavor and zest to any category of dish, patticularly inAsiatic,African, Chinese meat fries and a variety of vegetarian dishes.

There is mention about ginger in ancient Chinese, Indian and Middle-Eastern writings and has long been prized for its remarkable culinary and medicinal properties. Romans were the pioneers in ginger trading and they impOlted ginger from China about 2000 years ago. As early as the 2nd century AD in Rome, ginger was one among the very few items on which duty was levied at Alexandria, the port of entry. Its popularity in Europe remained centered mostly in the Mediterranean region until the MiddleAges. Since

18 November 2016

K. Vasanthakumar Professor of Horticulture,

School of Plant Sciences, Haramaya University, Eastern Ethiopia, emai l: vasall lkau @gmail.colII

G.S. Sreekala Assistant Professor,

Dept. of Plantation Crops and Spices, College of Agriculture, Vellayani ,

Trivandrum- 695 522 emai l: drsreekalags@glllail.colII

then, the use of ginger spread throughout other countries.

In olden days, ginger was a very expensive spice, owing to the fact that it had to be imported from Asia and the demand of spice was also very high. During the 13th and 14th centuries, next to black pepper, ginger was the commonest and most precious of spices. Spanish explorers attempted to make the spice avaiiable to more countries and they introduced ginger to West Indies, Mexico, Africa and South America and by the middle of 16th century, these countries started exporting the

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precious spice back to Europe.

might also have been re-adopted in Middle Engli sh fro m Old French (gingebre).

G inge r van e tl es recommended for productio n Dri ed g inger: M aran , Kuruppampadi , Va lluvanad , IISR Suruchi , IISR Surabhi , IISRRejatha

G inger van e tl es recommended for production of fresh g inger: Rio-de-Janeiro, C hina , Wayanad Local, IISR Varada, IISR Surprabha, IISR Mahima

During the Middle Ages and until the end of

Ginger, internationally major spice is a good source of dietary principles, vitamins and minerals.

the 19th century, Engl ish tavern keepe rs used to have g round ginger in regular supply for thirsty customers to sprinkle on top of their beer or ale . The Western herbali sts and naturalists knew the grea t qu a liti es of g inger and considered it as the right spice to be used in sauces along with meat owing to its excellent eating and digesting quality.

Today, the top five commercial producers include India (683000 metri c tonnes), China (390000 mt), Nepal (235000 mt), Indonesia (233000 mt) and Nigeria (160000 mt). The glo bal production in 2013 was 2.3 million tonnes of which India accounted for 33 percent, foll owed by China 19 percent.

Origin of the term 'ginger' is during mid-14th century from Old English gingifer. The spice has al so re lated na mes in Greek (zingiberis), in Latin (zingiberi), in Dravidian languages, Tamil and Malayalam (inchi-ver). The word

20 November 2016

Nutrient value / 100 g of fresh ginger (USDA Nutrient Database, 2014)

Principle Nutrient Value Per cent of RDA Energy 80 Kcal 4 % Carbohydrates 17.77g 13.5 % Protein 1.82 g 3% Total Fat 0.75 g 3 % Cholesterol o mg 0 % Dietarv Fiber 2.0 g 5 % Vitamins Folates 11 lu g 3 % Niacin 0.750mg 4.5 % Pantothenic acid 0.203 mg 4 % Pyridoxine 0.160 mg 12 % Vitamin A o IU 0 % Vitamin C 5 mg 8 % Vitamin E 0.26mg 1.5 % Vitamin K O.l /u g 0 % Electrolytes Sodium 13 mg 1% Potassium 415 mg 9% Minerals Calcium 16 mg 1.6% Copper 0.23 mg 25% Iron 0.60mg 7.5% Magnesium 43 mg II % Mal1lzanese 0.23 mg 10% Phosohorus 34mg 5% Zinc 0.34 mg 3%

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The data reveal s a fair value for carbohydrates and rather medium values for dietary fi bre and protein. The remarkable nutriti ve aspect of ginger is its low fat content and devoid of cholesterol.

The fresh spice is a good source of vitamin C, B complex vitamins and a moderate source of vitamin E. Among the minerals, the contents of copper, magnesium, manganese, iron are fairly rich with moderate sources of phosphorus, zinc and calcium. The nutrient benefits therefore suggest for inclusion of ginger in our daily cookery, besides its potentials for uses as spice and a phytomedicine.

Ginger is figuring a prominent place in herbal medicine with high value as a carminative. It can easily release an upset stomach, relieve vomiting and ease discomforts due to gas and diarrhea.

Chemistry: It is worth while to mention the historical importance of the first detailed chemical studi es on g inger by LO. Thresh. Chemical analys is of the sample of Cochin ginger was found to contain the major constituents: volatile oil (1.35 %), resins (3.02 %), gingerol (0.6 %), metarabin (8 .12 %), pararabin (14.4 %), starch (15.79 %), ce llul ose (3.7 5 %), a lbumino id s (5.57 %),

vasc ul ose (1 4.46 %), moisture (13.53 %) and ash (4.8 %).

Flavor Pro fi le: Pungency and aro ma are the principal sensations which make ginger more palatable. In ginger, both volatile and no n-vola til e constituents have

significant role fo r imparting the total fl avor sensations such as taste, pungency, hotness and odor. Flavor qualities of ginger depend primaril y on factors such as variety, geographical origin , process ing methods and storage conditions. The characteri stic fragrance and fl avor of ginger is attributed by volatile oils that constitute 2-3 percent of the weight of fresh ginger. The primary spicy notes are due to zingerone, shogaols and gingerols.

The major pungent compounds responsible for the characteri stic pungency of ginger has been reported to be gingerols and shogaols. Zingerone which is produced from gingerols during drying have low pungency but possess a spicy-sweet aroma. Some other compounds that contribute to the aroma of fresh ginger rhi zomes are linalool, geraniol, borneol, 1-8 cineoJ; terpineol, geranyl acetate, etc. A tea made with ginger, releases the compounds gingerol and protease which bring a ru sh of co mfortin g warmth th a t in creases cardiovascular circulation.

Biological effects

Ginger has a sialagogue action, stimulating the product ion of saliva, which makes swallowing

Quality characters of dded ginger GRADE Length of Max. MOIsture Max. Total Max. Caas Minimum

rhizome (mm) (%) Ash (%) Calcium oxide Volatile oil (%) (%)

Special 20.0 12.0 8.0 1.I 2.5

Standard 15.0 13.0 12.0 4.0 1.5

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easier. Ginger is a minor chemical irritant and because of this fact, was used as a horse suppository by the pre-World War I mounted regiments for 'gingering.'

Quality characters of dried ginger

The country of production determines the types of ginger preferred by importing countries. Indian ginger (Cochin and Calicut), Chinese, African (Nigeria and Sierra Leone), Jamaican and Australian are preferred in international markets. Cochin ginger possess a reputation of high quality with a light yellow colour and delicate flavor. Calicut ginger is reddish brown and have delicate flavor with lemon-like aroma. Indian ginger is mostly exported washed, unpeeled and dried or roughly peeled.

African ginger is darker in colour with high monoterpene content, giving a more pungent taste with camphoraceous notes. Chinese dried ginger is exported as whole-peeled and sliced-unpeeled. It is whiter than Indian ginger, more fibrous and

farmers and traders need to

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bestow all out efforts to produce good quality ginger as per Agmark standards. For example, dried whole ginger of the popularly traded Garbled Non-Bleached grade has to stick on to the following special characteristics.

The wellness of Ginger

Ginger has a long tradition as an effective herbal medicine in alleviating symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. Apart from being an

Dr. Vasalltlt KlImar ill a gillger plot at Nalljallglld, Kamataka

November 2016 23

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excellent 'carmin ative' it is also an established intestinal spasmolytic agent.

Gastrointestinal Relief: Ginger has an unbeaten success story in eliminating gastrointestinal di sorders . It has also a proven record as very effective in preventing symptoms of motion sickness especially sea sickness. Experiments have shown that in fact ginger is superior to 'Dramamine' a commonly used drug for motion sickness.

Effective Relief for Nausea and Vomiting: The anti-vomiting action and effectiveness in nausea especially during pregnancy in women has a long track record for ginger. It is a wo nder dru g in severe cases of pro lo nged nau sea / vomitin g like 'hyperemesis gravidum ' a condition which requires hospitalization.

Unli ke common anti -vomiting drugs, which has some side effects, ginger is extremely safe and only a small dose is required.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects : G inger contains very potent anti- inflammatory compounds viz., gingerols, shogaols and other phyto-chemicals. These substances possess remarkable relief in reducing pain levels due to these ailments and improving mobility when ginger is consumed regularly.

Protection against Colo-rectal Cancer: Gingerols, shogaols and zingerone, the main flavour components in ginger also inhibit the growth of human colorectal cancer cells, as evident from clinical trials conducted at Hormel Inst itute of Cancer Research, University of Minnesota.

Immune BoostingAction: Ginger induces a pos itive energy by giving warming sensations on a cold day but can also promote healthy sweating which is often helpful during colds and flu fevers. A 'tea' made from fresh ginger by steeping two slices of 1;.1 inch each when taken daily can certainly improve the immune system of human body.

24 November 2016

Spices Board atATMA

Technology Meet

Spices Board participated at the ATMA technology meet 2016 in Thodupuzha on the 4th and 5th November 2016. Mrs . Ambily Sadanadan, Senior Field Officer presented the activities of Spices Board and its services to the farming community on the first day.

Kerala State Agricultural Minister Adv. V.S. Sunil Kumar visited the Board's stall and shown interest on FSTL products and its availability in the market. Mrs. Ambily Sadanandan, Senior Field Officer, Pampadumpara Field Office and Mr. Jaison J. Myladoor, Senior clerk at the Head quarters, Cochin represented the Board.