Ginger: Common (Zingiber officinale)

Family: Zingiberaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Zingiber officinale or known for various common names such as Ginger, Common Ginger, Cooking Ginger, Canton, Stem Ginger, and Canton Ginger is a perennial herb with swollen underground stems or rhizome, usually about 1.5-2.5 cm thick. It grows about 30-100 cm in height. The leaves are long and narrow. The flower is a cone.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves, Roots/Tubers, Flowers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

flavouring, adding a hot, spicy flavour. — The rhizomes are widely used in many areas of the world as a flavouring, adding a hot, spicy flavour.; They are added to dishes such as cakes, curries, chutneys, stir-fry dishes, candies etc.; They are also commonly used in beverages, especially ginger beer.; The roots can be used fresh, where a small amount of the grated root is added to the dish, or the root can be dried and ground into a powder, when it will store well for later use.

Habitat & North American Range

Not known in a truly wild situation. (Zone 8)