Ginger Botanical Name: Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae)
General Description/History: - A tropical grass plant related to Bamboo - Root crop - Pale yellow flesh - Pungent spicy aroma - Smooth brown/golden skin. Select plump, heavy, smooth roots free from soft spots and wrinkles. Use fresh grated ginger in stir-fry, salads and dips. A good accompaniment to pork, prawns, fish and chicken. Use finely chopped or crushed in marinades. Ginger also accompanies sweet dishes such as fruit fritters, ice cream, cakes and biscuits. Ginger flowers are generally sterile and rarely set seed. Propagation is from portions of the rhizome, or root. These are known as ‘seed pieces’ and weigh 50-80g and are the size of a golf ball. Ginger requires highly nutritious soil and frequent irrigation. Ginger is planted in September to allow young plants to become established before the onset of hot burning weather in October, November and December. Planting is a mechanised operation, similar to potato planting. By February, the grassy vegetative tops of the ginger plant have reached a height of 1m while under the ground the rhizome (the root like stem) has developed into a large clump of odd-shaped hands. Ginger originated in the southern provinces of China and in India where it has been used in medicines and food preparation for over 5000 years. Not long before World War 1, some pieces of raw ginger found their way to Buderim then a small farming area 100km north of Brisbane, where the comparatively high rainfall and humidity combined to produce conditions ideal for growing ginger.
Alternative Names: Bahasa: halia Chinese: geung English: ginger Thai: khing
Availability:  Month  Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec   Availability                                                                         All Year
Growing Areas: QLD - Buderim, Sunshine Coast, Gympie NSW - Coastal areas
Preparation Videos: Preparing Ginger
Nutritional Value: A good source of dietary fibre and vitamin B1.
Storage/Handling: 15°C and 85 - 95% relative humidity. Consumer Storage: Store in a cool, dark, well ventilated place.
Recipes:
Hot Fruity Pikelets	Vegetable Broth with Lemongrass, Ginger and Noodles	Chinese Style Brussels Sprouts
Chicken Curry with Mushrooms and Cauliflower	Malay braised ginger short rib of Angus beef on sautéed rice noodles	Vegetable Tagine with Spicy Broth
Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Soup with Yogurt Drizzle	Steamed Fish with Ginger and Spring Onion	Steamed Fish with Ginger and Spring Onion
Ginger fish stir-fry	Grilled Spicy Buttered Corn