A-Z Blogging --"G"

 Well, Hello there!!! I am so pleased that you stopped by  to visit!
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    For the past many years I have had an interest...no, make that a fascination with herbs, spices and seasonings. - About how they were used by our ancestors centuries ago for a variety of ailments, and how they are used today to enhance your favorite recipe.
With this in mind I am attempting to present a different herb, spice or seasoning  for each day of the  A-Z Challenge. Please drop by often and perhaps we both will learn something new.

Learn more about these terms.

                                 "G" is for  Ginger                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have to admit that I was waffling back and forth between   garlic ( garlic powder) and a less popular but also less talked about  spice , but in the end I wanted to learn about...

GINGER

(precisionnutrition.com)

Ginger is a subtropical plant grown for its  root. It is aromatic, pungent and spicy and adds a special flavor and zest to Asian stir fires and many fruit and vegetable dishes.
The flesh of this rhizome can yellow, whit or red in color, depending upon the variety. It is covered with a brownish skin that may either be thick or thin, depending upon whether the plant was harvested when it was mature or young.                                                                                                

The first time I used ginger I was very intimidated, and still have trouble preparing it. These tips that I found in WHFoods.com help ease my mind at theses times.
To remove the skin from fresh mature ginger, peel with a paring knife. The ginger can then be sliced, minced or julienne.  The taste that ginger imparts to a dish depends upon when it is added during the cooking process. Added at the beginning, it will lend a more subtle flavor while added near the end , it will deliver a more pungent taste.
                                                                           
Health Benefits

It's time for Herbs and Spices!

~Ginger is an herb.It is commonly used to treat various types of "stomach problems", including motion sickness, morning sickness, nausea caused by cancer treatments as well as loss of appetite. Also used to treat colic,gas, diarrhea.
~Other uses include pain relief from arthritis or muscle soreness, menstrual pain, upper respiratory
tract infections, cough and bronchitis. Ginger is also sometimes used for chest pain, low back pain and stomach pain.
~Some people pour the fresh juice on their skin to treat burns. The oil made from ginger is sometimes applied to the skin to relieve pain.
~In foods and beverages, ginger is used a a flavoring agent.
(As children, my mother would often give us "flat" (without carbonation) ginger ale when we had upset stomachs or vomiting. It would hydrate us and we enjoyed the taste)


Sources:
www.whfoods.com
Medline Plus   http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/961.ht

Disclaimer

The material provided on this site is designed for information and educational purposes only. The materials are not intended to be a self diagnostic and/or self treatment tool. I encourage you to use this information as a tool for discussing your condition with your health practitioner.