Where does ginger come from?

Ginger

Ginger spice comes from the rootstocks of the tropical ginger plants.  The spicy ginger your mother uses to make gingerbread men comes from the roots of the ginger plant.

The finest ginger comes from Puerto Rico and Jamaica, but Africa and India are also important sources of ginger.

The ginger plant is a reed-like plant that may grow three to four feet high.  Its leafy stems spring up from the knotty rootstock.

When the stems turn yellow and wither the ginger is ready for harvesting.

After the roots are dug up, they may simply be scalded with boiling water and then dried in the sun, or they may be scraped and washed before they are dried.  Dried ginger varies in color from light brown to brown.

Ginger is added, usually ground, to flavor such foods as gingersnaps, pickles and mincemeat, as well as many other foods.

And most people have tasted ginger ale, a carbonated, ginger flavored soft drink.  It is very popular. – Dick Rogers