Ginger is grown in India, China, Africa and Jamaica. But the Jamaican ginger is supposed to be best in the world as well the most expensive. Most of us have seen or used a piece of ginger at one point of our life.

Whole, young fresh Ginger
This is the immature ginger. The outer skin will be slightly green and the ginger will be tender and less fibrous. It is used a lot in the making of pickles and the Chinese use cut this in slices to stir fry their vegetables with.

Dried Ginger
This is usually found in spices shops and herbal preparation shops. It is used more for medicinal purposes. However, it is also used in the making of tea and some sweet dishes. It is usually grated or pounded.

Powdered Ginger
The dried ginger is powdered. This is used in the making of dessert, cakes and cookies. When you buy powdered ginger, remember to keep it refrigerated as the smell goes off very fast.

Preserved Ginger
These are actually young ginger, preserved in a sugar syrup. People use both the ginger syrup and the ginger pieces. It is widely used in the making of ice cream, cakes and cookies. Usually sold in bottles.

Crystallized Ginger
This is another type of crystallized ginger but in a dry form. Pieces of ginger are cooked in syrup, then dried and rolled in sugar. It can be eaten as a sweet.

Pickled Ginger
There are two ways of making ginger pickles. The Indians would add lots of spices to make a pickle and the Chinese and others would just put slices of ginger into vinegar along with salt and sugar. These vinegar-pickled ginger are served as condiments or appetizers.

Over the years ginger has been used as a remedy for toothache, a treatment for menstrual cramps (ginger tea). Chewing a piece of ginger after dinner helps digestion. If you are one of those who gets sick or vomit while travelling in a plane or in a ship, ginger is the remedy for you. Just chew a piece of ginger while travelling. The juice of ginger is also used as compress to relieve congested nose or sinus problems.

When you buy ginger, you don't have to keep it in the refrigerator. Keep it in an airy basket in a dark area. It will keep well for about 2 weeks. If you have too much ginger, slice the excess and put it into a jar with vinegar and you have a pickle for emergency use!