Tropicana May-June 2022 #142 The Sports Issue

TROPICANA MAGAZINE
BENEFITS OF BENTONG
GINGER
Bentong ginger can be used for many things, from
improving health to enhancing food flavour
If you mention Bentong, a sleepy district in Pahang, there’s a good chance that the word
ginger will come up in conversation. Within the district is a small town called Bukit Tinggi,
famous for its rhizome, which is more aromatic, spicy, and pricey than regular ginger. Due
to its high quality and demand, Bentong Ginger, as it is called, is the most popular ginger in
Malaysia. Farmers who practise commercial agriculture have been planting this ginger on the
hilly slopes of Bukit Tinggi for over a century. Apparently, early migrants from Southern China
brought ginger with them because they used it extensively in their cooking. Interestingly, they
discovered that ginger grew better in Bukit Tinggi than it did back in their homeland!
As a result of the clean, fresh air and fertile soil that the temperate region is blessed with,
Bentong ginger is rich in nutrients such as gingerol, which has medicinal benefits. It can aid
in the relief of nausea, and vomiting. Bentong ginger can also help prevent colds, control
cholesterol, and treat respiratory conditions. It has a thinner skin and can be consumed
immediately after cleaning. What’s more, Bentong ginger retains its freshness for up to a month,
whereas regular ginger begins to dry and shrink after one to two weeks. In the kitchen, ginger
can be used in many ways. To flavour soups and rice, whole, unpeeled ginger is added to water
and other cooking liquids. In some cuisines, pickled ginger is used as a condiment. Fried rice and
stir-fries, meat marinades and glazes, and vinaigrettes all benefit from minced ginger.
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• Bukit Tinggi, Bentong is 25.5 kilometres away from Tropicana Grandhill, Genting Highlands.