Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a tropical flowering plant whose knobbly underground rhizome is one of the world’s most widely used spices. It has a distinctive warm, sharp, slightly sweet flavour that works across sweet and savoury dishes, beverages, and confectionery.
Originating in Southeast Asia, ginger has been traded and cultivated for thousands of years. It was one of the first spices to reach Europe via ancient trade routes and was so valued in medieval times that it was used as currency. Today, India is the world’s largest producer, followed by Nigeria and China.
Ginger is remarkably versatile. It’s used fresh, dried, powdered, pickled, preserved, and crystallised. It appears in dishes from stir-fries to gingerbread, in drinks from ginger beer to chai, and in condiments from chutneys to Japanese gari (pickled ginger served with sushi). In Australia, the Sunshine Coast in Queensland has been a significant ginger-growing region since the early 20th century, home to the well-known Buderim Ginger brand.
How it's produced
Ginger is grown from pieces of rhizome (called “seed pieces” or “sets”) planted in warm, humid conditions. The plant needs rich, well-drained soil, plenty of water during growth, and temperatures that don’t drop below about 15°C. It takes 8–10 months from planting to harvest.
At harvest, the entire plant is dug up and the rhizomes are collected. For fresh ginger, rhizomes are washed, trimmed, and sent to market. For dried or powdered ginger, they’re peeled, sliced, and dried. In Australia, ginger is grown commercially in Queensland, primarily in the Sunshine Coast hinterland and Bundaberg regions. The crop is planted in spring and harvested the following autumn and winter. Australian ginger is known for its strong flavour and fibre content.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for root vegetables, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
Keeping it
Keep it: in the fridge in a sealed bag.
Advice from Cubud’s own keeping notes — how to keep it, not a measured number.
What comes from this
Your household's take
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