Ginger, the ultimate immune boosting ingredient

Having grown up on a farm and part of the Carmién family, our first memory at the mention of Ginger is the honey, ginger and lemon rooibos tea mix we had to drink to relieve bouts of flu. A close second to that would be Ginger biscuits (which we disliked when we were small) and lastly the bottles of homebrewed Ginger beer.

Ginger, whose botanical name is Zingiber officinale, has recently been designated Herb of the Year for 2023. This ancient herb was used by the Greeks and Romans. Over 2,000 years ago, its role in the spice trade was far-reaching with Ginger being one of the earliest spices to have been exported from Asia, arriving in Europe with the spice trade.

Ginger is incorporated in many dishes and baked goods worldwide. Apart from its culinary uses Ginger plays an important medicinal role in the health and wellness industry and can be found in many wellness products. In Ayurvedic healers call Ginger the “Universal Medicine”. It has a long use in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) going back centuries.

This ancient rhizome has been grown for over 4,000 years, mostly in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia and forms part of the Zingiberaceae family which also includes turmeric, cardamom and galangal (a more citrusy-flavored cousin of ginger).

Ginger is beneficial to many systems in our bodies including respiratory, circulation, digestion and for pain management. A cup of immune boosting Carmién rooibos tea is one of the easiest ways to access these benefits: