One of the world’s most popular spices, the ginger plant (Zingiber officinale L.) is a striking plant with reed-like stems, long slender leaves and fragrant clusters of yellow-green flower buds. The root and rhizome of the ginger plant are commonly consumed as powder, spice or juice. Ginger has a strong, pungent flavor with a subtle sweetness and an exotic aroma.
Gingerol is the major constituent of fresh ginger. It also contains shogaols, a sesquiterpene called zingiberene, beta-carotene, capsaicin, caffeic acid, curcumin and salicylate.*