Traditions with ginger

Ginger, the knobbly root of a tropical plant, has been used for cooking and tea for more than two thousand years, in Asia first, and then across the world. Fresh, dried, pickled or candied, it appears in Chinese stir-fries, Indian chai, Japanese sushi, Jamaican cake and the gingerbread of Europe. In many cultures, it is a food of warmth, comfort and the sick-room by tradition. These pages describe where it is used and what it stands for.

Where it is used

In China, ginger is cooked with fish and chicken, and it is the main flavour in postpartum soups. In India, it is in masala chai, curry pastes and pickles. In Japan, pickled pink ginger, gari, is eaten with sushi, and in Jamaica ginger beer and ginger cake are made for Christmas. In Germany, Lebkuchen are made at the Christmas market, and in Britain, gingerbread men are baked for children.

What it means

In Chinese tradition, a month of rest after childbirth includes ginger, and in Indian homes, ginger tea is a first offering to a visitor in winter. Gingerbread houses and figures are festive gifts in Europe, with a history in medieval fairs. By tradition, ginger is warming, and families pass down remedies, which are described here as tradition, not as medical advice.