"Now Jeannie dear, drink up your nice hot cup of ginger tea. It will make your cough go away. There's a good girl." I can still hear the gentle, coaxing voice of my mother out of the misty past. Whenever I had a cold as a young child I got the ginger tea cure. I vividly recall that it made my throat feel as if I were swallowing pins and needles. To this day ginger is one popular spice I seldom use, although it was one of the earliest spices to be introduced to Western Europe in the 19th century.
Native to India and China ginger has been used in China for many centuries as an important medicine. It was known in Arab countries as far back as A.D. 650. It was one of the earliest spices known in Western Europe in the 9th century and became so popular that it was included in every table setting.
Ginger was one of the spices used to fight the Plague. In the 19th century English pub keepers supplied containers of ginger to sprinkle on their ale. One not so genteel use of this magic powder by Sussex farmers was to pep up a lazy horse. It was a common custom to apply a sprinkle of ginger on the animal's backside to get him moving.
Often the term "ginger root" is used in reference to this special spice. It is in fact a rhizome (root) and is available in various forms. The raw roots, generally referred to as "fresh ginger," differ in shades of color from off-white Jamaican ginger regarded as the best to African, Indian and Kenya Ginger, There is powdered ginger, preserved ginger, crystallized ginger, pickled ginger and a pungent, sweet- flavored bouquet ginger. Aphrodisiacal powers have been ascribed to ginger. In the Melanesian Islands of the South Pacific it is supposed have magical powers to gain the affections of a woman. In the Philippines on the other hand it is chewed to expel evil spirits.
It is recorded that Henry V111 once instructed the Mayor of London to advocate it as a Plague medicine. Not only is it recommended as a digestive medicine it has many other medicinal properties as well. Powdered ginger, the buff colored powder that we are most familiar with is made from the ground root. Preserved ginger, known also as "stem ginger" is made from fresh, young roots. They are peeled, sliced cooked in heavy syrup and canned. The soft pulpy slices are extremely hot. Crystallized ginger, also cooked in sugar syrup, is dried, and then rolled in sugar. Pickled ginger roots are sliced very thin then cooked in a vinegar solution. It is known in Japan as gari and often accompanies and is served as refreshment between courses.
Medicinally, ginger is commonly known as a digestive aid as it increases the production of digestive fluids and saliva, helps relieve indigestion and diarrhea. It is used to treat morning sickness and nausea. Ginger root is also effective in stimulating blood circulation by removing toxins from the body. There are ginger ale, ginger beer, ginger bread, and ginger snap cookies, to mention a few of the by-products. So much for the illustrious history of this famous herb.
Recently I discovered a whole new use for this root. I have a very generous daughter-in-law who just loves to shop, especially for gifts. No matter what the occasion, she delights in coming up with some exotic or very special item that one does not find in bargain basements. Since she could not come down for my last birthday party, she sent me almost the equivalent of a beauty salon -- minus the operator. The gift was artistically arranged in a large, glamorous silver-textured handbag. All items were in fancy ginger-toned containers, each bearing the caption Red Tea and Ginger, plus the name of the item. But sometimes the fancy lettering on the containers was a little difficult to read.
There was Body Spray, Hand Lotion, Soap, Bath Powder, Body Lotion, Body Milk, a small soft pillow, a bath Sponge and a fascinating little satchel, tied with a yellow ribbon that intrigued me. As it was not a perfumed sachet I assumed it was must be fine bath salts and read no further as every item bore the same caption: "Red Tea Ginger." I targeted it for my next bath as I love Bubble baths. Upon checking several items for fragrance as I did not relish reeking of ginger, I was pleased to note that there was no fragrance at all, a mark of wholesome cosmetics.
We have an exceptionally deep comfy bathtub as I like to submerge. Since I now have a little difficulty getting in and out of the tub, my son periodically checks to see that I have not drowned. One night I had him fill the tub as close to the rim as possible because I was going to enjoy the luxury of my Ginger Bath salts.
I prepared for the big event, took my treasure over to the tub, removed the yellow ribbon and held the precious bag over the inviting warm water and opened it. A strange black, crumbly powder gushed out and quickly spread over the entire surface of the water before I had time to close the bag. It was none other than ginger tea! I debated whether to hop in and hope it dissolved or change the water. The Scottish instinct in me couldn't condone the latter, besides I was getting cold and the water under that scum was very inviting and so I scrambled over the edge of the tub and slipped under the black curtain. Soon my faithful son opened the door a crack to check on me. When he saw the black scum on the surface of the water, he gasped and said, "Mother, you really must bathe more often." I hastened to explain that I was steeping in some good ginger tea and invited him to get a cup and join me. He declined and left me to steep.
The moral of this story is: Read the entire label.
