ABSTRACT
Ginger is a herbaceous perennial, producing reed-like stalks 30 to 150 cm (1-5 ft.) high from a thick, creeping, jointed rhizome (underground stem). Flowering stalks and non§owering, leafy stems emerge separately from the rhizome (§owering stalks are often not produced in some climates). Varieties vary in rhizome pungency and color, with white, pale yellow, yellow, and red predominating. The area of origin is uncertain, likely tropical Asia or Indonesia. Today, the major producing areas are the West Indies (especially Jamaica), India, West Africa (especially Sierra Leone), Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Hawaii, Japan, and Queensland (Australia). Other areas of cultivation include China, Egypt, Nigeria, Mexico, Hawaii, and Central and tropical South America (especially Brazil). Ginger from Jamaica is considered by some to be of the highest quality. Ginger is not cultivated as a crop in North America.
