Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Ginger or ginger root is the rhizome of the plant, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family (Zingiberaceae). Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal.Ginger cultivation began in South Asia and has since spread to East Africa and the Caribbean. Ginger, a knobby, fibrous root, has smooth light brown skin with a sheen to it. The flesh of the root is white. Ginger root is a seasoning and flavors sweets, including cakes, cookies, breads, and beverages. It is also good in sauces, and fruit dishes, and is often used heavily in Asian cooking. Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese cuisines also make extensive use of ginger as an ingredient in soups and savory dishes such as fish, meat, chicken and in salad dressing also. In Western cuisines, ginger dishes are usually sweet such as ginger biscuits, gingerbread and ginger snaps. Ginger drinks are also very popular among Caribbean and Greeks. Pickled ginger is called gari or beni shoga in Japan, this form is pickled in sweet vinegar and is usually colored bright red or pink. It is a familiar accompaniment to sushi and is also eaten to refresh the breath.In China, ginger has been used to help digestion and treat stomach upset, diarrhea, and nausea for more than 2,000 years. Ginger has also been used to help treat arthritis, colic, diarrhea, and heart conditions.In addition to being used as a medicine, ginger is used throughout the world as an important cooking spice. It also has been used to help treat the common cold, flu-like symptoms, headaches, and painful menstrual periods.

What about its perfume characteristics? The aroma is very bright, tart, fresh, warm, exotic, tonic, a little bit bitter... The main active ingredients of ginger oil are: curcumene, alpha-zingiberene, citral, geraniol.