Ginger has been known since thousand years. It is one of other member of family Zingiberaceae include turmeric, cardamom, and galangal. The strange thing is ginger doesn’t grow in the wild and its actual origins are uncertain. Ginger used as a flavor long time ago. Ginger was important exported trade from India to Roman Empire. Ginger became one of highly sought commodity in Europe.
The value of ginger was precious and has equivalent price to the sheep. Indians and Chinese are believed to have produced ginger as a tonic root for over 5000 years to treat many ailments. By several time, ginger then used for sweet consume. Those show that ginger has been known from centuries and has many purpose. It’s time to see more than just an ingredient, but as a powerful remedy.
Ginger composition
- Gingerol. Ginger compounds gingerol. This is one of the main component of fresh ginger and slightly less found in dried ginger. Gingerol is one of bioactive components which most contain in ginger. Studies suggest that ginger contains a variety of bioactive compounds and standardization of contents is critically lacking.
- Treat nausea. Ginger mostly used to treat various kind of stomach problems such as nausea. Ginger contains chemical that help to reduce nausea and inflammation. After some research, researchers believe the chemicals in ginger work primarily in the stomach. However, it can also affect brain and nervous system to control nausea.
- Reduce soreness and muscle pain. Gingerol shows that it has impact as analgesic and sedative substance so that can ease muscle pain and soreness, but only effective a day or more after workout.
Benefits of Ginger
- Prevent cancer. This substance helps in reduce free radicals in our body. As it used to anti inflammation, this means that ginger can help for prevent cancer. It found from research that ginger has capability to destroy ovarian cancer cells. Studies show that consuming ginger can help to reduce the risk of colon cancer.
- Anti-inflammation. It is believed that ginger has many benefits for health. As ginger contains gingerol, it can be used as anti-inflammatory agent.
- Treat chronic indigestion. Ginger may also help for treat chronic indigestion and menstrual pain.
- Reduce menstrual pain. As be known, gingerol in ginger has benefits to ease pain. It can reduce pain while menstruation.
- Reduce cholesterol level. Moreover, it can be used to reduce cholesterol level.
- Improve brain function. Consuming ginger can also improving brain function.
- Fight infection. As it helps for inflammation, it can be used for fight infection.
- Delay hungry. It helps for delay hungry.
How to use a ginger for treatment?
1. Ginger dessert
Ginger now used in any ways. But commonly used in dishes, especially in Asian cuisines. It can be one of ingredient to make gingery dessert. In some places, ginger is usually made for ginger biscotti and pumpkin gingerbread pudding. Gingerbread has been known since Queen Elizabeth I era. In some place as in Indonesia, ginger usually use in some beverage. Wedang jahe is one of Javanese beverage which use ginger as main component of the dessert.
2. Combine with any drink
More, ginger is also enjoyed with other beverages such as tea and milk. Ginger which is mixed with tea and milk gives some benefits for health. Ginger can warm our body.
3. Spicy fragrant ginger rice
Also, ginger usually uses as fragrant for some food, such as rice. Its spicy give different fragrant in rice.
What is fermented ginger beer?
However, today, ginger is not only enjoyed by its fresh or powder form. There is other way to enjoy health benefits from ginger. Beside it can be made for dessert, fragrance, and beverage, ginger now can be enjoyed by fermented it. Fermented ginger then make it become fermented ginger beer.
Fermented ginger beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage made from ginger. This beverage is produced in two versions, alcoholic ginger beer or a carbonated soft drink with ginger and sweetened with sugar. Both of this fermented beverage has known since centuries. It may have originated in England in eighteenth century.
Health benefits of fermented ginger beer
1. Reduce pain and inflammation
This fermented ginger beer also has some benefits for health. It can reduce pain and act as anti-inflammatory agent. Although it is a beer beverage, it can ease pain by gingerol compound of ginger. It plays role as traditional herb beverage.
2. Curing a flu
Ginger beer also treat a flu. As agent of anti-inflammatory, it develops immunity. It against chemical messenger that contain in our body, one of them is cause of flu.
3. Treat stomach
This beverage also helps for stomach diseases. Many spices and herbs are good for reducing upset stomachs, and ginger is no exception. Fermented ginger beer can re-build our stomach condition and it can help for nausea and vomiting.
Some risk factor of fermented ginger beer
- Drastically lower blood sugar
However, this beverage has some side effects if consuming continuously. Alcohol makes people become addicted. Also, ginger is known having effect as aspirin. It may cause the blood slow and may cause blood thinning. It can cause drastically lower blood sugar.
- Improve heart disease
Consuming ginger beer continuously can improve heart diseases. Over doses of ginger might affected heart palpitation. It’s been known through scientific studies that ginger is a key to carbonated ginger ale. Drink ginger in this way may trigger an arrhythmia, if consumed in high doses
- Alcoholic
In short, ginger has benefits for us. It can be enjoyed in its many usages. The new way to enjoy ginger is by made it become fermented ginger beer. However, do not fermented ginger more than five weeks or its alcohol degree will increase and become alcoholic things. Beside its benefits, fermented ginger beer also has side effect. It must be one our awareness.
How to make a fermented ginger beer?
Ginger beer mostly produced as a soft drink. Ginger beer and ginger ale as soft drinks have been popular since they were introduced. The difference between ginger beer is fermented, meanwhile ginger ale just carbonated that has been flavored with ginger. Simply, ginger ale is non-alcohol while ginger beer is alcoholic. Ginger beer soft drink mixed with beer.
Homemade fermented ginger beer
To make ginger beer at home, it is a simple ways. What we need to prepare is ginger, sugar, lemon juice and flittered water. It does not need much properties to make ginger beer. It is just simple ingredients to make it.
First of all, fill the jar with one cup of room temperature water and two teaspoon of sugar. Then, stir it and add two teaspoon of gingers. Next, cover up the jar with cheesecloth or towel and tie it with tape. Than let it for 24 hours. Stir in 2 teaspoons each of the ginger and sugar and let for another 24 hours. Do the same thing for three days. Bubbles should begin to form after the second day.
When the ginger bug starter (ginger beer plant) is foamed, make the decoction by bring two quarts of water with two tablespoons of grated ginger than boil them for 15 minutes. Strain the ginger into a jar or crock. Put the sugar to the liquid, and add the remaining cold water than check the temperature. When we touch the jar is no longer warm, strain and add the ginger beer plant. Add a lemon juice and cheesecloth over the jar.
Fermented ginger beer recipe
Fermented ginger beer can be made in home. The ingredients of traditional ginger beer are water, sugar, ginger, lemon juice, and ginger beer plant. What is ginger beer plant? It is not actually a plant. It is a symbiotic white culture of different microorganism. It helps ginger beer in fermentation process. Today, the fermentation process mostly use a lactic acid, yeast, or tibicos. It is not use ginger beer plant only.
Is fermented ginger beer alcoholic?
It is alcoholic beverage because it fermented. It can be addicted if consuming daily. Better for you to consume it as dosage suggest.
Ginger beer fermentation time
Let it be fermented for about three days. Allow the sealed bottles to ferment with temperature for 12-36 hours. Also, check the carbonation periodically by gently squeezing the plastic that cover the bottle. The process is complete when it no longer needs gently squeezed. Once carbonated, place the bottle to the refrigerator and drink after three weeks.