Z

List of flora of Tobago - their origins & uses: Alphabetic Order Started with "Z"

Zingiber officinale

Roscoe, ZINGIBERACEAE

Common name: ginger

Said to be a native of Asia. Cultivated in Tobago and Trinidad and exported from Jamaica. Naturalised in America after the discovery of that country by the Spaniards. Francisco de Mendosa transplanted it from the East Indies into Spain, where Spanish-Americans cultivated it vigorously, so that in 1547 they exported 22,053cwt. into Europe. It is now cultivated in great quantities in Jamaica in root form, dried or preserved. The root from the Caribbean is considered the best.

Green Ginger is the immature undried rhizome. Preserved Ginger is made by steeping the root in hot syrup. Ginger is a perennial root which creeps and increases underground, in tuberous joints; in the spring it sends up from its roots a green reed, like a stalk, 60cm (2ft) high, with narrow lanceolate leaves; these die down annually. The flowering stalk rises directly from the root, ending in an oblong scallop spike; from each spike a white or yellow bloom grows.

Ginger is called black or white, according to whether it is peeled or unpeeled; for both kinds the ripened roots are used, after the plant has died down. The black are scalded in boiling water, then dried in the sun. The white -some say the best, is scraped clean and dried, without being scalded. For preserve young green roots are used - they are scalded and are washed in cold water and then peeled. The water is changed several times, so that the process takes three or four days. The tubers are then put into jars and covered with a weak syrup; this is changed after a few days' soaking for a stronger syrup, which is again changed for a still stronger one. The discarded syrups are fermented and made into a liquor called 'cool drink'; a few drops of chloroform or chloride are generally added to the preserve to prevent insects breeding in it.

Ginger flowers have an aromatic smell and the bruised stem a characteristic fragrance, but the root is considered the most useful part of the plant, and must not be used under a year's growth. The peeling has to be done very thinly or the richest part of the resin and volatile oil is lost. It is sometimes soaked in lime-juice instead of plain water, and the colour is improved by a final coating of chalk.

The Chinese fresh ginger is grated into powder. The root must be kept in a dry place, or it will start growing and is then spoilt.

The odour of Ginger is penetrating and aromatic, its taste spicy, hot and biting; these properties are lost by exposure.

Stimulant, carminative, given in dyspepsia and flatulent colic excellent to add to bitter infusions; specially valuable in alcoholic gastritis; of use for diarrhoea from relaxed bowel where there is no inflammation. Ginger tea is a hot infusion very useful for stoppage of the menses due to cold, externally it is a rubefacient. Essence of ginger should be avoided, as it is often adulterated with harmful ingredients.