Ginger is a tuber that is essential in Indonesia for cooking, as a spice and also for its medicinal value. In Indonesia, Ginger is known as Jahe and you can buy it in any supermarket or vegetable sellers in the street. A lot of ginger that are sold in Indonesia are grown locally. There are basically 3 types of ginger in Indonesia. There is the big ginger, the small ginger and lastly the red ginger Red ginger is the hottest and it is used if you want the food have the hot and spicy taste I used the big ginger often when I cook and it gives punch and flavor to the dish. If I am boiling chicken soup, besides adding mushrooms and vegetables, I will cut small slices of ginger and add it in as well. Chicken soup that are boiled with ginger can provide a good relief for common cold and flu; and it is also very easy and soothing on your stomach when taken.
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When I buy ginger, I will put them in the fridge when I reached home. This help to keep the ginger fresh and enhance the shelf life. I have observed that the fresh big ginger which I bought can stay fresh for about a month when I put it in the fridge. If I want to prepare spices or used it for herbal medicine, then I would buy the small or red ginger. Most of the ginger that are exporter by Indonesia are the big ginger which is commonly used for cooking and beverages. To choose a fresh ginger, I will pick those that are firm in texture and without blemishes. Those ginger that have many blemishes, cracked and limp in texture are probably old and no longer fresh.
I do buy ginger tea in the form of sachet from the supermarket and there are plenty of brands you can choose in Indonesia. I prefer my ginger tea to be hot and with less sugar. However when I have the time, I also liked to make my own ginger beverage. It is very simple to do. Buy fresh large ginger and slice it thinly. The more ginger you used, the stronger is the taste; so normally I will buy one or two large ginger for making this beverage. Put the slice ginger in a pot, add water and boil it. I normally boil it for about 15 to 20 minutes and then it is ready to serve. You can add sugar, honey or a slice of lemon if you wish depending on your taste. For my case, I just add a sachet of sugar to my cup of ginger tea.
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There are so many ginger products that you can buy in Indonesia, such as ginger candy, ginger bread, ginger tea, ginger oil and herbal products, ginger ale, etc. Ginger enhances your health if you consume it with moderation. I am not aware of any side effects of consuming ginger on the long term basis. Millions of Indonesians especially the elderly have consumed ginger all their life and remains healthy. In fact it is rather odd for a Indonesia dish to be cook without the use of ginger.
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