Ginger

Common Name: Ginger

Indian Names of Spice:

  • Hindi: Adrak

  • Bengali: Ada

  • Gujarati: Adu

  • Kannada: Shunti, Ardraka

  • Malayalam: Inchi

  • Marathi: Ale

  • Oriya: Ada

  • Punjabi: Adrak

  • Sanskrit: Ardraka

  • Tamil: Inji

  • Telugu: Allamu, Sonthi

  • Urdu: Adrak, Adhrak

Foreign Names:

  • Spanish: Jengibre

  • French: Gingembre

  • German: Ingwer

  • Swedish: Ingefära

  • Arabic: Zanjabil

  • Dutch: Gember

  • Italian: Zenzero

  • Portuguese: Gengibre

  • Russian: Imbir

  • Japanese: Shōga

  • Chinese: Jiang / Chiang

Botanical Name

Zingiber officinale Roscoe

Family

Zingiberaceae

Commercial Part

Rhizome (underground stem)

Description

Ginger is a slender, perennial herbaceous plant that is usually grown as an annual for commercial purposes. It grows to a height of 30–50 cm and has a palmately branched underground rhizome that is aromatic and pungent. The leafy shoot is a pseudostem formed by the overlapping leaf sheaths and bears 8 to 12 distichous (alternately arranged) leaves.

The spice used in cooking and medicine is the processed or raw rhizome of the plant.

Climatic Requirements for Cultivation

  • Altitude: Sea level to 1500 meters above mean sea level

  • Temperature: 20°C to 30°C

  • Rainfall: 1500–3000 mm (well-distributed)

  • Humidity: High

  • Soil: Rich, loamy, well-drained soils; lateritic loams are best

  • Light: Partial shade preferred

  • Growing Season: Starts with onset of monsoon (May–June), harvested in 7–8 months

Origin and Distribution

Believed to be native to India and Malaysia. Now cultivated widely across tropical Asia, Africa, and parts of the Americas. Major producers include:

  • India (world leader)

  • China

  • Nigeria

  • Indonesia

  • Thailand

  • Jamaica

Major Growing Areas in India

  • Kerala

  • Karnataka

  • Northeastern states: Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh

  • Odisha

  • West Bengal

  • Andhra Pradesh

  • Tamil Nadu

  • Maharashtra

Popular Varieties

  • Rio-de-Janeiro – High yielding

  • Maran – Popular in Kerala

  • Nadia – Widely cultivated in Odisha and other states

  • Varada – Released by ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR)

  • Mithila – Developed by RAU, Bihar

  • Himgiri – Suitable for hilly regions

Important Uses

  • Culinary:

    • Used fresh, dried, powdered, or as paste in Indian and Asian cuisine

    • Ingredient in curry powders, pickles, gingerbread, sauces, and beverages

    • Essential in making ginger ale, ginger beer, and other carbonated drinks

  • Medicinal:

    • Used in Ayurvedic and Unani medicines

    • Acts as a carminative, anti-nausea, digestive stimulant

    • Used in treating cold, cough, inflammation, and gastrointestinal issues

  • Industrial:

    • Ginger oil and oleoresin used in soft drink flavouring, confectionery, and perfumery

    • Also used in pharmaceutical preparations