| The oil from Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is obtained by | | | | mother took me to a jewelry shop and the owner |
| distillation. It is spicy, warm, very alive with hints of | | | | rubbed a piece of ginger onto my earlobes for 10 |
| lemon and pepper. It is grown commercially in tropical | | | | minutes. They were numbed and he shot an inch-long |
| countries like India, China, Java, the West Indies. | | | | piece of gold rod into each earlobe with a device, |
| Apparently Jamaica ginger has the best aroma of all. | | | | bended them to form the earrings. My face twisted |
| Ginger is a perennial herb and the white flowering | | | | with agony in anticipation of pain that was not there |
| stems grow straight up rising from an irregularly | | | | ( Do not try this without the supervision of an |
| jointed root. In fact, I have one right in my kitchen | | | | expert. ) Although I seldom wear earrings, the holes |
| with its green shoots growing . It's an aging ginger | | | | on my ears never closed. |
| and the juice is really potent. It is such a useful herb | | | | In India, ginger was and still is used to treat colds, |
| to have around the house that it's popularity inched | | | | dyspepsia, rheumatism, nausea and the ginger paste |
| its way to the world of aromatherapy. Ginger plants | | | | is applied to the temples to clear headaches. |
| were carried onto vessels plying the trade route in | | | | Chinese and Ayurvedic practitioners have relied on |
| the Indian Ocean and the South China Seas as far | | | | ginger for more than 3000 years. Its anti |
| back as the 5th century AD. In the 16th century, | | | | inflammatory uses are many and it was believed that |
| ginger was introduced to Africa and the Caribbean | | | | when used as a carrier oil, ginger enabled other |
| and the Spanish introduced it to the West Indies. The | | | | essential oils to be more effective. In Africa, the |
| Roman empire regarded ginger as an important | | | | people used ginger to control malaria and eliminate |
| medicinal herb rather than its role in aromatherapy | | | | yellow fever. |
| use. Gingerbread man was said to be invented by | | | | The properties of ginger essential oil are found to |
| Queen Elizabeth 1 of England. Together with | | | | increase blood circulation, alleviate morning sickness, |
| cinnamon, ginger was the most sought after spice | | | | motion sickness, lower cholesterol and relieve chest |
| along the trade routes centuries ago. | | | | congestion. Dilute it in a bath to relieve muscle fatigue |
| The Chinese kitchen will always have a few ginger | | | | and massage a mixture of ginger and another chosen |
| rhizomes around. They used ginger to restore | | | | carrier oil on the stomach to remove wind. It's a |
| depleted yang energy, induce sweating so toxins can | | | | remedy for impotence when blended with cinnamon |
| be eliminated, stimulate and strengthen the stomach. | | | | and rosemary. |
| My grandmother used to make soup with just sliced | | | | Ginger is now an ingredient in many types of food, |
| ginger and pig liver. I didn't like that very much but | | | | beverage and cuisine worldwide. Ginger ale, ginger |
| got the idea of boiling water with slices of ginger | | | | candy, ginger tea, ginger cookies to name a few and |
| from her. Today I drink this ginger tea once a week | | | | we continue to benefit from ginger in their many |
| to expel 'wind' from my body. I have something to | | | | forms- fresh, dried, essential oil, powdered and in |
| titillate your taste buds and if you're up for it, try | | | | some cases it is used as a preservative. |
| sprinkling tiny deep fried ginger strips on a scoop of | | | | The essential oil of ginger is very strong and do not |
| chocolate ice cream. Ooh.. heavenly... | | | | use it undiluted as it may cause a reaction on |
| Another personal experience I had with ginger was | | | | sensitive skins. Put a few drops onto an oil burner or |
| as a child. I wanted to have my ears pierced. My | | | | a drop on a tissue to inhale the aroma. |