An ancient spice Dried, powdered ginger was exported from India
to Europe in Roman times, two thousand years ago. Fresh ginger
is a recent arrival in European shops, in part because of the
popularity of Asian cookery. Ginger is not just an important
spice. It is used to treat many illnesses in Asia and in the
West, particularly nausea and travel-sickness. Ginger beer plant
Until recently, many British homes housed a "ginger beer plant".
This was a mass of fungi and bacteria that turned a sugary
solution into a drink tasting like ginger beer. Today ginger
beer is usually made in factories. Root or stem? Ginger comes
from the fleshy rhizomes. Although growing underground, these
are not roots, but a special kind of swollen stem.