Food Plants International

548
Names
English: Ginger Scientific name: Zingiber officinale Rosc.
Tok pisin: Synonyms:
Tok ples: Plant family: Zingiberaceae
Description: A perennial herb with swollen
underground stems. It can grow 30-100 cm tall. The
underground stem or rhizome branches and is
horizontal near the soil surface. It is about 1.5-2.5 cm
thick. Inside the rhizome is yellow and it is covered
with scales forming a circle around it. The leaves are
long (30 cm) and narrow (4 cm). Each leafy shoot
usually has 8-12 leaves in two vertical lines on opposite
sides of them. The leaf blade narrows evenly to the leaf
tip. The flower is a cone 6 cm long on a stalk up to 30
cm long. (Flowers are not produced in all locations.)
Distribution: It is a tropical plant. It is mainly grown
from sea level up to 1900 m altitude in the tropics but
will grow at higher places. It needs a loose fertile soil.
It does best with plenty of humus. It requires a rainfall
of 1500 mm or more per year. It does best where there
is a short dry season and a good hot temperature. It
cannot stand waterlogging. In Nepal it grows to about
2500 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.
Cultivation: A portion of the rhizome is planted 5-7 cm below the surface of the soil.
Sometimes light shade is used but it can be grown without shade.
Production: It takes 12 months to mature. It is harvested several times. The young shoots are
cut when about 7.5 cm high.
Use: The underground rhizome is eaten.
The young shoots are spicy and can be eaten.
The rhizome can be dried and powdered.
Oil of ginger is used as a flavouring.
Food Value: Per 100 g edible portion
Edible
part
Moisture
%
Energy
KJ
Protein
g
Calcium
mg
Iron
mg
proVit A
µg
proVit C
mg
Rhizome
Rhiz dry 9.4 1452 9.1 11.5 15 7.0 4.7
Shoots
Insects:
Aspidiella hartii (Cockerell) Diaspididae (HEM) Armoured scale
Dichocrocis sp. nr. punctiferalis Guenee Pyralidae (LEP) Peach yellow moth
Dindymus pyrochrous Boisd. Pyrrhocoridae (HEM)
Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell) Pseudococcidae (HEM) Mealy bug
Henosepilachna haemorrhoea (Biel) Coccinellidae (COL) Leaf eating ladybird
Henosepilachna signatipennis Boisd. Coccinellidae (COL) Leaf eating ladybird
Icerya seychellarum (Westwood) Margarodidae (HEM) Soft scale
Lema variator Gres. Chrysomelidae (COL)
Lema wauensis Gres. Chrysomelidae (COL)
Meijerella inaequalis Becker Chloropidae (DIPT)
Zinc
mg