Ginger      

Ginger

Similar species

Myoga ( Zingiber mioga Roscoe) appears in Japanese cuisine; the flower buds are the part eaten.

Another plant in the Zingiberaceae family, galangal, is used for similar purposes as ginger in Thai cuisine. Galangal is also called Thai ginger. Also referred to as galangal, fingerroot ( Boesenbergia rotunda ), or Chinese ginger or the Thai krachai , is used in cooking and medicine.

A dicotyledonous native species of eastern North America, Asarum canadense , is also known as "wild ginger", and its root has similar aromatic properties, but it is not related to true ginger. The plant also contains aristolochic acid, a carcinogenic compound.

Jerusalem artichoke also shares similar appearance with ginger root.

Toxicology

Standard autopsies do not currently screen for the presence of ginger per American Medical Association standards.

Metaphorical use of name

In modern times, the term "ginger" is commonly used to denote also (a) the color of yellowish or reddish brown; (b) a person with red hair, pale white skin, and freckles. The latter meaning has been amplified by its extensive use in the television animated series South Park, where the invented disease "Gingervitis" is a running theme.

See also

• Bu Zhong Yi Qi Wan - contains ginger material
• Kaempferia galanga
• List of plants used as medicine
• Xiao Yao Wan - contains ginger material
• Figging

References

1. ^ "Zingiber officinale information from NPGS/GRIN". www.ars-grin.gov . http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?42254 . Retrieved 2008-03-03 .  
2. ^ "Spices: Exotic Flavors & Medicines: Ginger" . http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?displayID=15 . Retrieved 2007-08-08 . « Gillyflower