Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is the December Herb of the month and our last herb in this series! It is a member of the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family. A family of about 1300 species and full of flowering plants and includes both turmeric and cardamom

The part of ginger we use is the rhizome – a modified stem that grows horizontally underground sending up shoots of green ginger leaves. It is generally brown and papery with a yellow center. Young ginger rhizomes will be lighter colors like pink and white. The leaves of the ginger plant grow in shoots up to 3ft high. They have green pointy leaves that alternate in rows. The flesh of the ginger is yellow, with spicy, and bright taste. It brings a warming energy in the body when you eat or drink it.

Ginger is native to the Maritime Southeast Asia region and does not grow in this form in the wild. The ginger that we eat now is most often grown in India. From Southeast Asia Ginger spread via the Silk Road to India, then to Europe and the Mediterranean. Its name originates from the Sanskrit word “srngaveram” meaning “horn root”. Through many translations to Greek, Latin, and eventually Old English, the word evolved into “Ginger” as we know it today.

Ginger has 5,000 years history in China and India as a tonic and medicine. It was one of the first spices brought to Europe via the Silk Road in the 4th century by Arab traders. In 13 and 14th century Europe, a pound of ginger costs the same as a sheep. Spanish Conquistadors took Ginger to Jamaica in 1525 with hopes of finding a new place to cultivate it and undercut the market using slave labor.

Gingerbread traces its roots back to ancient Egyptians who used it in religious ceremonies. The first recipe we have for gingerbread is from 2,400 years ago in Greece. Armenian Monk Gregory Nicopolis brought gingerbread to Europe in 992 CE. Gingerbread houses became popular in 16th century Germany and were closely tied to the story Hansel and Gretel.

Red Hair’s Association with Ginger - It isn’t exactly clear why or when red-heads started being called gingers. Some believe it has to do with the bright red flowers ginger plants often have, or that it relates to the color of ginger baked goods. Other theories compare the fiery taste of ginger root to the fierce personalities many red-headed people are stereotyped as having.

Vernor’s Ginger Ale - James Vernor, a druggist from Detroit, Michigan, supposedly created the first ginger ale in the United States when he left a medicinal blend of ginger and vanilla tonic in a barrel while he was away in the Civil War. Surprised and delighted by the results when he returned, he began bottling it as Vernor’s Ginger Ale in 1866.

Ginger has drying and warming energetics, so much so you can usually feel the warmth move throughout your body when you eat it. It contains several terpenes including, Bisabolol, Eucalyptol, Humulene, Limonene, and Linalool.

Ginger is good for cold & flu symptoms, muscle pain, digestion, constipation, menstrual pain, and regulating blood sugar and cholesterol. It is also anti-nausea, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-biotic, anti-microbial, and an analgesic, circulatory, and laxative. The Kama Sutra lists ginger as a powerful aphrodisiac.

Make this fresh ginger syrup to add ginger’s warming flavor and medicinal benefits to any drink of your choice

 ½ c sugar

 ½ c water

 ¼ c fresh ginger, sliced

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and heat until all sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat and add ginger to the saucepan. Allow to steep until the liquid is completely cool. Strain the syrup into a bottle and discard the leftover ginger. Keep in the fridge for two weeks to add to a medicinal drink of holiday cocktail of your choice!

"Eat ginger, and you will love and be loved as in your youth" - University of Solerno Medical School (during the Middle Ages), speaking medically and spiritually about ginger's ability with vitality and sexuality.

Ginger has masculine energy, and is associated with Aries and the element of fire, likely due to its fiery taste. Ginger is ruled by Mars (the planet of conflict and competition). It is associated with protection, power, success, love, and money. Ginger is an amplifier; it adds power when combined with others.

Healers from some Austroasiatic peoples would chew ginger and spit it at areas with illness to heal and ward off disease. Ayurvedic traditions believe ginger aids the sacral chakra and can help express creativity, emotions, and sexuality. A precursor to gingerbread men, Romans would eat man-shaped cookies, near the end of Saturnalia celebrations as a nod to appeasing the gods through human sacrifice.

Carry piece of ginger with you as a talisman for protection. Keeping ginger under your pillow can keep away nightmares. Add ginger to your tea to warm your heart and attract love. Sprinkle dried ginger in your wallet to attract prosperity.