Yesterday (Saturday) saw the official release of an unusual but interesting beer at an equally unusual but interesting event. The Boxcar Brewing Company from West Chester, Pennsylvania, hosted an old-fashioned train ride in 1950s rolling stock which transported participants to a pig BBQ with blues and rock music, and the launch of the brewery's new 7% abv Mango Ginger IPA. If you have any comments about the beer or took any pictures, let me know and I will feature them in a future post. Incidentally, the beer can be found at this week's famous annual Philadelphia beer festival, Beer Week.
Here in the UK we are in the midst of Diamond Jubilee celebrations. And the Retail Times informs us that Firefly Natural Drinks has joined in by releasing a limited edition design for its Rule Britannia tonic. This blend of apples, blackberries and ginger can now be found in a bottle covered with the Union Jack and cheekily set off with a corgi image on the gold cap.
Border Biscuits is a Scottish maker of gourmet and specialist biscuits. From a range of 31 products, the company's best seller is Dark Chocolate Ginger. According to Scotland Food & Drink, sales for the first five months of this year increased by a very impressive 65%, driven partly by a combination of new packaging and additional listings, and partly, I like to think, by the fact that it is ginger. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what these biscuits are like as I've never been able to develop a taste for dark chocolate.
I think that Cott Beverages must have taken a leaf out of the Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer book of marketing. Crabbie sponsors the British Comedy Awards and last Christmas also sponsored ITV programmes. According to just-drinks, this summer will see Cott Beverage's Old Jamaica Ginger Beer sponsor live comedy shows on the Comedy Central TV channel. Those clever people in marketing must have discovered a link between ginger and humour. Is it the feel-good factor? You can make it this week's topic to discuss.
Fresh Plaza reports that the Brazilian ginger harvesting season will start in one or two months. Exporters are expecting a very good season for a product which is shipped to the UK, US (during Hawaii's off-season), Italy France and the Netherlands. Brazilian ginger is dearer than the widespread Chinese ginger but is preferred by some consumers for its superior flavour.
Like many Asian countries, Nepal has a constant battle with drug producers and smugglers. The Himalayan Times reported last week that a smuggler posing as a vegetable farmer was caught with 101 kg of hashish hidden in six consignments of ginger, destined for abroad.
I've actually found a ginger scientific research paper which I have been able to read and, for the most part, actually understand. The Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science has just published a paper called "The effect of ginger and garlic on the microbial load and shelf life of Kunun-zaki". The research was undertaken by a team from the Department of Microbiology at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture in Umudike, Nigeria. Kunun-zaki is a popular non-alcoholic drink in Nigeria and is made from fermented millet, sorghum, guinea corn and maize, and flavoured with ginger. The aim of the research was to determine whether treating kunun-zaki with ginger, garlic and a combination of both could reduce the microbial population and extend the shelf life. The researchers found that although garlic on its own was the most effective in reducing the microbial population, the combination of both ginger and garlic extended the shelf life by up to four days. I wonder what other drinks this could apply to?
The Jamaican Gleaner carried a short but informative article about that bane of ginger farmers' lives - rhizome rot. So wherever you are, if you think that you may be affected, read this article.
It's that time of the year again when The Financial Express comments on the cultivation of ginger in the Bangladeshi district of Nilphamari. It's that time when farmers are still optimistic. Nilphamari is subdivided into six upazilas and all of these produce ginger. The district used to provide 80% of the country's total ginger requirements but in recent years has only produced around 50%.
Here is a tip from the People's Daily Online. Harvested ginger is liable to dry out in winter and deteriorate in summer. So the solution is to bury the ginger in wet sand in a flowerpot and leave it there until required.
Each May (and I'm a little late with this story), the people of Sabah in Malaysia celebrate their harvest festival (or Kaamatan). Part of the festival is the legend of Kinoingan who is revered as the god or creator. The legend begins with the premise that in the distant past seeds did not exist. So Kinoingan sacrificed his only daughter in order to provide seeds to grow food. Why is this of interest to me? Well, various parts of the daughter's body provided the required seeds. Her head gave the people coconuts, her teeth created maize and her fingers and toes resulted in ginger.
How long is the shelf life of Crabbies ginger beer?
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