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Have we met?
If you are in China, it is highly possible that you know me. I look plain, and am not as colorful as a flower. But I am reliable and useful. I am loved, and also hated, by many.
I look like this:
Do you know what is this? /VCG Photo
One clue: It is an herb. /VCG Photo
But you may be more familiar with me in this form:
Hello there, I am the ginger. I am an herbaceous perennial; the part you human eat is my rhizome.
My family members are all over China as well as the world. China produces about 20 percent of the world's ginger each year. Shandong, China's eastern province, is our top hometown for production in the country, and also one of the oldest origins of my kind.
The fresh, young gingers. /VCG Photo
Why Shandong? Of course, the climate, soil and sunshine play important roles. The more important is that Shandong locals really love me. As a seaside province, Shandong has special cuisine containing a lot of fish and seafood. And Shandong people love eating meat too. I excel at diminishing the unpleasant flavor of raw meat and raw fish. So I am frequently used in almost all entrées in local cuisine.
Ginger is used in almost all meat dishes. It is appreciated for its function of stomach warming. The Chinese charaters in the picture means "eat finer in winter". /VCG Photo
In China, people from Shandong are usually considered bold, frank, forthright and chivalrous. They endow me with similar personalities. I am honored as the Great General of vegetables. Chinese people describe grumpy papas as old ginger, because they, like me, are "the older, the spicier."
Ginger is widely used in Chinese cuisine. /VCG Photo
Still think my spiciness is too strong for you? Try me with vinegar. Ginger vinegar pairs well with crab, sliced cold meat and plain boiled chicken. And even better, I can make desserts. Try a cup of hot ginger milk, or ginger plus brown sugar water. You won't fear winter anymore.
The flavor of ginger goes well with lemon. /VCG Photo
As a spicy ingredient, I am much milder than pepper. The pepper makes you sweat, while I can help you warm up from inside. Even my fragrance has the same effect, and can be used in aroma therapy.
China's Flora Tour
From the wetlands along the coast to the dense rain forests hidden in the southwest of China, all boast an array of plant species. In this series, we will go on a tour to learn about some of the most representative flora in different provinces and see how they live in harmony with the local geography and climate.
(Cover image via VCG, designed by CGTN's Jia Jieqiong)
(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)