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Zingiber officinale

Zingiber officinale, “Ginger” in English and “Gingembre” in French, belongs to the Zingiberaceae botanical family. It is a tropical herb that can reach a height of 1m.

Native to Southeast Asia, it is widely cultivated in most tropical countries for its rhizome.

A very common spice in Asia, it is used as food flavoring, in beverages, as pickles etc.

The medicine made with the rhizome is a stomachic, tonic and digestant. It stimulates the flow of saliva, raises the tonus of the intestinal musculature and activates peristalsis. Powdered, it is a strong anti-emetic. In folk medicine, it is used as a carminative, expectorant and astringent.

The main constituents of its essential oil (2.5 to 3%) vary enormously according to the origin. There are sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes, acyclic oxygenated monoterpenes such as neral, geraniol, geranial and geranyl acetate; gingerols, shoagols, gingerdiol and analogues and other diarylheptanoids.

  • English name Ginger
  • French name Gingembre
Zingiber officinale