Types of Ginger

Ginger is a flowering plant. The root or rhizome is used for medicinal purposes. It is introduced as an herbaceous. It is a spice that comes from the fresh or dried root of the ginger plant. Ginger is available in 6 forms i.e. pickled, crystallized, preserved, dried, fresh, and powdered or grounded.

Types of Ginger

Here are some types of ginger.

1. Fresh Ginger

This type of ginger is available in two forms i.e. mature and young. Mature ginger has a thick or tough skin that must be peeled away to get the fibrous flesh. It can be also chopped before use. These are also larger rhizomes which are cleaner and more expensive. The young roots are called spring or green ginger. They have thin skin which requires no peeling and has a mild flavor. For use, first of all, you have to chop this.

2. Preserved Ginger 

These are mostly available in Asian markets. This particular form of ginger has been stored in a sugar-salt mixture. It is generally added to desserts and is especially good with melons.

3. Powdered Ginger 

It is also referred to as ground ginger. You get this type of ginger by grounding the ginger root. This kind of ginger is ready-made and easily available in supermarkets. Generally, it is used in curry mixes and sweets.

4. Pickled Ginger 

These are the type of ginger pickled in sweet vinegar and are also colored as red and pink. It should be kept in a refrigerator in its container.

5. Crystallized or candid Ginger 

It has been cooked in sugar syrup until tender and then coated with granulated sugar. It is mostly used in desserts and it can be made easily at home. 

6. Dried Ginger 

This type of ginger found in slices and whole fingers. It is generally soaked in recipe liquid before using it.

What's Inside Ginger?

The main anti-inflammatory components of ginger are gingerol (when ginger is fresh) and zingerone (when ginger is cooked and/or dried). These compounds restrict inflammation-causing molecules from being synthesized, thereby reducing inflammation.

Gingerol

Gingerol is a bio-active compound that is widely considered to be responsible for the medicinal properties of fresh ginger since it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Zingerone

Gingerol transforms into zingerone (aka, vanillylacetone) when ginger is cooked and/or dried. Like gingerol, it too has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

What Conditions Can Ginger Help?

There is plenty of research linking these compounds to a reduction inflammation caused by many conditions, including:

Kidney damage

Cancer

Diabetes

Colitis

Irritable bowel diseases (IBDs)

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