Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: zingiber

Family: Zingiberaceae (Ginger)

Distribution: India, Southeast Asia, Australia

Comments: Each ginger species has a different culinary usage; for example, myoga is valued for the stem and flowers. Garden ginger's rhizome is the classic spice "ginger", and may be used whole, candied (known commonly as crystallized ginger), or dried and powdered. Other popular gingers used in cooking include cardamom and turmeric, though neither of these examples is a "true ginger" - they belong to different genera in the Zingiberaceae family.