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ginger, common name for members of the Zingiberaceae, a family of tropical and subtropical perennial herbs, chiefly of Indomalaysia. The aromatic oils of many are used in making condiments, perfumes, and medicines, especially stimulants and preparations to ease stomach distress. Ginger (Zingiber officinale), cultivated since ancient times in many countries, no longer grows wild. Commercial ginger is made from the root, either preserved by candying or dried for medicines and spice. Zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria), turmeric (C. longa), and the seeds of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) are similarly used, the latter two often combined with ginger to make one kind of curry. Turmeric root yields a yellow dye, and a compound derived from it, curcumin, is used to promote bile secretion by the liver. C. angustifolia is an East Indian arrowroot. Ginger is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Liliopsida, order Zingiberales, family Zingiberaceae.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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