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INTRODUCTION
One of the earliest Oriental spices known
in Europe, ginger has been cultivated in India both as a fresh vegetable
and marketed as a dried spice since time immemorial.
The fresh, dried or powdered rhizome of a
slender, perennial herb, Indian ginger has been acclaimed world-wide for
its characteristic taste, flavour & texture. Ginger has always meant
many things to many people. A taste-maker. A flavourant. An appetizer. A
drug. Though grown all over India, the finest quality ginger comes from
Kerala endowed as it is with a congenial climate and a rich earthy soil.
Indian dry ginger is known in the world market as 'Cochin Ginger' (NUGC)
& 'Calicut Ginger ' (NUGK). India offers ginger in a variety of forms;
oils, oleoresins, fresh ginger in brine, pickles, candies and syrups. It
also comes in garbled / ungarbled, bleached/unbleached and powder forms.
India has a predominant position in ginger
production and export. The principal buyers are the Middle East, USA, the
UK and the Netherlands.
BOTANICAL NAME
Zingiber officinale Roscoe
FAMILY NAME
Zingiberaceae
NAME IN INTERNATIONAL
LANGUAGES
| Spanish : |
Jengibre |
| French : |
Gingembre |
| German : |
Ingwer |
| Swedish : |
Ingefara |
| Arabic : |
Zanjabil |
| Dutch : |
Gember |
| Italian : |
Zenzero |
| Portuguese : |
Gengibre |
| Russian : |
Imbir |
| Chinese : |
Chiang |
| Japanese : |
Shoga |
COMMERCIAL PART
The rhizome
GRADE SPECIFICATIONS
Grade designations and
definitions of quality of Ginger
| Special characteristics |
| Grade designation |
* Size of rhizomes |
Extraneous matter percentage by weight (max.) |
| Garbled Non-bleached Calicut (NGK) |
Not less than 15mm in length |
2.0 |
| Garbled Non-bleached Cochin (NGC) |
Not less than 15 mm in length |
2.0 |
General characteristics:
The ginger whole
- Shall be the dried rhizomes of Zingiber
officinale Rose, in pieces, irregular in shape and size, pale brown in
colour with fibre content characteristic of the variety, with peel not
entirely removed and light pieces removed by garbling;
- shall have characteristic taste and flavour,
be wholesome, and shall not have rancid or bitter taste or musty odour.
- shall be reasonably dry and reasonably free
from moulds and insect infestation.
Note:- * Tolerance for size: maximum tolerance
of 3 percent shall be allowed. Extraneous matter means all foreign matter
including the exhausted or spent ginger.
Grade designations and
definitions of quality of Ginger Ground
| Special characteristics |
| Grade designation |
Moisture percentage by weight (max.) |
Total ash percentage by weight (max.) |
Ash insoluble (in dilute HCL) percentage by weight
(max) |
Water soluble ash, percentage by weight (min) |
Cold water soluble extract percentage by weight
(max.) |
| Standard |
13.0 |
8.0 |
1.0 |
1.7 |
10.0 |
General characteristics:
- The ginger powder shall be the product obtained
by grinding the ginger (whole)
- It shall be free from admixture from mould
growth, insect infestation or musty odour.
Note: Particle size as specified by the
buyer.
PRODUCTION
Highest Yearly Production : 170584 Tonnes
HARVESTING SEASON
December to February in plains
February to March in higher elevations
MARKETING SEASON
February to April
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