Ginger is said to originate in Maritime Southeast Asia, a region that includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, East Timor, and Brunei. The word ginger can be traced back to the sanskrit word “srngaveram”. What makes ginger unique is that its a true cultigen, meaning it does not exist in the wild, but was a plant domesticated by Austronesian peoples. Other true cultigens from the region include turmeric, white turmeric, and bitter ginger. It was used to weave mats, as well as religious rituals and blessings.
It was eventually introduced to the Pacific Islands, India, Indochina, and Madagascar from the Austronesian peoples. The first written record of ginger comes from the Analects of Confucius, written in China during the Warring States period (475–221 BC). Confucius was said to eat ginger with every meal.
Ginger eventually made its way to the Eastern Coast of Africa and Mediterranean via Arab traders. Pliny the Elder noted that ginger was produced in Sri Lanka, which many Greek philosophers thought at the time was where a lot of spices from Asia originated at the time. Today India is the largest exporter of ginger and is used in a lot of delicious dishes. What’s your favorite use of Ginger?