by RubySamy

Created on: April 03, 2008

Ginger is one of the famous spices found in almost everybody's kitchen no matter which part of the world you live in. We use ginger as it adds a tangy freshness and a light spiciness to our everyday dishes. It gives special warmth and the mellow sweetness of ginger complements a range of dishes from sweet to savory.

Ginger has different names in different languages in French: gingembre , German: Ingwer , Italian: zenzero , Spanish: jengibre,Burmese: cheung, chiang, jeung, Indian: adruk (green), ard(r)ak(h) (green), sont(h) (dried),Indonesian: aliah , Japanese: mioga, myoga, shoga, Thai: k(h)ing (green).By whatever name you call it ginger is a great remedy for number of ailments.

And I am sure after reading the health benefits of ginger you will automatically use it a lot and benefit from its usage to a great deal.

Here is a list highlighting the health benefits of Ginger.

MORNING SICKNESS The most natural and quickest way to avoid morning sickness is to drink ginger tea. Ginger is a time-tested remedy for morning sickness; generations of expectant moms have found that a cup of ginger tea first thing in the morning helps to a great extent to get rid of morning sickness.

ARTHRITIS PAIN You can drink a cup of ginger tea daily to ease the arthritis pain. Just boil the tea water with fresh thin sliced ginger pieces and then make your usual tea. Adding ginger to the boiling water adds a nice tangy flavor to your tea.

MENSTRUAL CRAMPS Ginger is considered as a great reliever for menstrual cramps. It can also incite delayed menstruation. And it is very good for muscular aches relief. So just drink ginger tea now and then to stay fit and fine.

COLDS AND FLU To get rid of colds, flu, sore throat or headache ginger acts as a great natural remedy. Add 2 tbsp of freshly shredded ginger in boiled water or place a drop of ginger oil or a few slices of fresh rhizome in steaming water and inhale.

NAUSEA - For nausea, gas, or indigestion chew a small piece of fresh ginger. Nothing can be as simple as that right.

ASTHMA AND COUGH - have a spoon of the juice of fresh ginger, with a little juice of fresh garlic, mixed with honey. It really acts as a wonder medicine to relief cough and asthma.

TIPS FOR BUYING THE BEST GINGER
Try to avoid ginger that looks wrinkled, discolored, or moldy. Pick up the ginger which has a thin skin that's smooth, unblemished, and almost translucent.
Practical tip is to break off a knob and see if the texture is firm, crisp, and not overly fibrous. Most of all it should have a fresh, spicy fragrance.

HOW TO KEEP GINGER FOR LONG

You can make ginger last long and keep it fresh for two or three weeks. To extend its life, just freeze sliced ginger. The best part of freezing is that there is no need to defrost it, and it is much easier to grate when frozen.

PEELING TIP
Instead of using a peeler, use the edge of a spoon to scrape off the skin. It takes more effort than a knife or a peeler, but it's less wasteful.

So by now I guess you have become a ginger expert. As ginger helps to fight against number of ailments try to use ginger in number of ways. You can increase your ginger intake by consuming Ginger bread, Ginger tea, Ginger beer, Ginger cookies etc .

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