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Chinese Red Claw Ginger 红爪姜

History

Zingiber officinale, more commonly known as ginger, is a pungent, aromatic spice. Ginger is light brown in colour on the outside and yellow on the inside, with a rough, bumpy outer skin. Ginger is found in the cardamom and turmeric plant family.

The first people to produce ginger were supposedly the Chinese and Indians, who used ginger to treat many illnesses. It was valued for its flavoring and medicinal properties. Ginger trades occured between India and the Roman empire, where it held utmost value for its medicinal properties. It’s price continued to rise after the fall of the Roman Empire, and it became high demand in Europe. In the current day, ginger is commonly used in food and medicine recipes around the world.

Composition

Fresh ginger has been found to contain over 400 different compounds, but is mainly comprised of carbohydrates (50-70%), lipids (3-8%), and volatile oils (1-3%). The complex mix of volatile oils produce the distinct flavor and aroma of ginger.

Chemistry

Gingerol ([6]-gingerol) is the major pungent compound and appears as a yellow oil at room temperature. Gingerol gives fresh ginger its spicy taste and is chemically related to capsaicin, the compound responsible for the spicy taste of chilli peppers.  When ginger is dried, gingerol reacts to form shogaols via a dehydration reaction. These shogaols are about twice as pungent as gingerol and is the reason why dried ginger is more pungent than fresh ginger.

When cooked, gingerol undergoes a reverse aldol reaction to produce zingerone, a less pungent compound with a sweeter aroma .

Safety

Ginger is on the FDA’s “generally recognized as safe” list when used in appropriate amount of 1-2 grams per day . Ginger should be used cautiously with anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs because concerns that ginger may increase risk of bleeding have been documented . For diabetes patients, ginger has a slight risk to increase the insulin levels and/or lower the blood sugar.

Medicinal Use and Research

Ginger is commonly used as a dietary supplement to alleviate nausea and vomiting . It is unclear if ginger is helpful for nausea and vomiting in the setting of both motion sickness and post-surgery . There is evidence that it may be helpful in reducing pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting . It may also help control nausea related to chemotherapy when used with conventional anti-nausea medications .

There is tentative preliminary evidence that ginger may reduce pain in the setting of dysmenorrhea and osteoarthritis, which is thought to be related possible anti-inflammatory effects of gingerol and related compounds .

Nutrition Constituent

The table below provides a summary of ginger root's major nutrition constituent：

Ginger Nutrition Constituent

Nutrient	Units	Fresh ginger root (per 100g)
Water	g	78.89
Calories	kcal	80
Protein	g	1.82
Total Carbohydrate	g	17.77
Dietary Fiber	g	2.0
Sugars	g	1.70
Vitamin C	mg	5.0
Thiamin	mg	0.025
Niacin	mg	0.750
Total lipid (fat)	g	0.75
Fatty acids, Total Saturated	g	0.203
Fatty acids, Total monounsaturated	g	0.154
Fatty acids, Total Polyunsaturated	g	0.154
Calcium	mg	16
Iron	mg	0.60
Magnesium	mg	43
Phosphorus	mg	34
Potassium	mg	415
Sodium	mg	13

（The data comes from United States Department of Agriculture ）

Processing

Harvesting

Ginger rhizomes may be harvested from about 5 months after planting. At this stage, they are immature. The roots are tender flesh with mild flavor, no skin to peel and no stringy fibers. They are suitable for fresh consumption or for preserved ginger process. After 7 months, the rhizomes will become more firm, knotty and rough, and the flavor will be too strong for fresh use. Although they may be harvested at any stage of maturity, the best time is between 8 to 10 months of age when they have a high aroma and flavor. If they are harvested later than this, the delaying will increase fibre content and sprouting, limit storage life.

Washing

After harvest, fresh rhizomes should be washed, and cleaned from debris, shoots and roots as fast as possible to ensure minimum loss from microbial contamination, mold growth and fermentation. Scrubble by hands or with soft-bristle brushes in clean water. If available, pressure washing is preferred as it is more effective and tends to reduce microbial load. Traditionally, rhizomes are immersed in boiling water for 10 minutes, which help to inactivate enzymatic processes, then sun-dried. Scraping or peeling is preferred for reducing drying time. However, the removal of the outside skin will decrease the fiber content and some of the oils constituents, as they are more concentrated in the peel, and thus reduces some of the pungency.

Drying

The principle of the dry process involves decreasing the water content to a lower level so that microorganisms cannot decompose and multiply in the product. After peeling and washing, rhizomes are first soaked in water for 2 to 3 hours, then steeped in a 1.5 to 2.0% lime (calcium oxide) solution for about 6 hours, finally drained and sun-dried. Drying should reach to 8-10% moisture,and no more than 12%, expected weight loss during drying is 60-70%.Mechanical drying is preferred as it will ensure a more homogenous and cleaner product. Drying temperature should be changed from low to high, and not exceed the critical temperature of 60 ºC to avoid flesh darkening and discoloration.

Grading and Packaging

Quality specifications are imposed by the importing country and refer to the cleanliness, specifications rather than the quality. Take proper care to meet the minimum requirements is important, otherwise a lot ginger will be rejected by importers. The following terms are used to describe dried rhizome:

 Peeled, scraped, uncoated: whole rhizome with the corky skin removed

 Rough scraped: whole rhizome with the skin partially removed

 Unpeeled or coated: whole rhizome with skin intact

 Black ginger: whole rhizomes scalded before being scraped and dried

 Bleached: whole rhizome treated with lime or diluted sulfuric acid

 Splits and slices: unpeeled rhizomes, split or sliced

 Ratoons: second growth rhizomes, small, dark and very fibrous.

Dry slices or powder are packaged in Kraft multi-wall laminated bags. The film permeability of various type of laminates is different. Whichever package method is used, storage in a cool and dry environment is crucial for dry spices.

Ginger Uses

Ginger is typically used as a flavoring agent in foods and beverages. According to the methods and product characteristics, ginger products can be classified into salted products, chow-chow, pickled products, dry products, ale, and juice products. The oil made from ginger is sometimes applied to the skin to relieve pain.

Crystallized Ginger

Crystallized ginger is known as candied ginger or ginger chews. It is starts with fresh ginger root which has been peeled, cut up, boiled, cooked in a thick simple syrup and then allowed to dry. The result is a crackle glaze with a soft and chewy center. A sprinkle of coarse sugar gives the ginger its crystalline finish for a sweet and tangy treat. Sugar content of crystallized ginger is very high.

Sushi Ginger

Gari, also known as sushi ginger, is Japanese pickled ginger served with sushi and sashimi. It is made by marinating flat strips of young ginger in vinegar and sugar. When young ginger is pickled, it turns slightly pink. In present day, the pink color is the result of usage of food colourings. The taste of sweetness and sourness of the ginger acts as palate cleanser between the different types of sushi.

Preservation

Although ginger will not go bad too quickly as it takes a while before its spice dries out completely, to extend the shelf life is necessary since it is hard to use it from one root at once. The storage condition for fresh ginger includes a temperature of 13°C. To storage ginger in a zipper storage bag, or wrap it in paper towels, and refrigerated, it can stay crispy and fresh up to one month . The methods also work for peeled ginger root, however, it will not last as long as it would with peel on. In the case of storage of ginger under the room temperature, the crop shrivels and may sprout, thereby reducing the storage life to about one week. For dry ginger, the recommended storage condition is room temperature of between 22°C to 25°C in a cool, dark space in an airtight container.

Cochin Ginger from Kerala

Regulation

Canada

Under Canadian regulations (C.R.C., c.870, section B.07.021), whether the whole ginger or ground ginger, it must be washed and dried or decorticated rhizome of Zingiber officinale Roscoe.  In order to sell in the market, ginger can not contain more than 7 percent total ash, 1 percent ash insoluble in hydroelectric acid, and 12.5 percent moisture, but it must contain not less than 1.5 milliliters volatile oil per 100 grams of spice.