Ginger is a spice which is used in both savoury and sweet cooking and in medicine. It can be used fresh straight from the root or dried as a spice.
Ginger in cooking
Ginger can be used to flavour both savoury and sweet dishes. It is also one of the primary ingredients of drinks such as ginger beer and ginger ale. Preserved or crystallised ginger is also popular in cooking and as a sweet snack.
In savoury cooking ginger is generally mostly used in Indian and Asian cookery where it is often used in curries, stir fries, seafood, meat and noodle dishes. Pickled ginger is also popular here where it is often used as a garnish. In sweet cooking ginger can be used in baking things such as cakes and biscuits.
Ginger is also used as a spice for coffee in some parts of the Middle East and it is a popular herbal tea.
Ginger in medicine
Ginger can be used for a variety of medicinal reasons - it has useful antibacterial properties. For example, many practitioners of alternative medicines use ginger to help with: