Swedish Gingerbread, Indian Prices & Ginger Real Ales

I do enjoy watching foreign language dramas with subtitles on TV. My Saturday evenings are not complete without a weekly dose of crime from Italy or France or, as happens most weeks, Scandinavia (The Killing, The Bridge, Borgen & Wallander come to mind). According to The Observer, it is not only Scandinavian drama which is proving popular with the British. The UK shopping delivery service Ocado has launched a Scandinavian Christmas Shop and one of its top sellers is Nyåkers Pepparkakor. This Swedish gingerbread biscuit has seen sales jump by 73% over the last three weeks.

Nyåkers Pepparkakor is the oldest gingerbread biscuit bakery in Sweden. Pepparkakor is the Swedish word for gingerbread. The biscuits have been produced for seventy-odd years and are still made to the original recipe. They are very popular in the USA (and now the UK it seems).

This coming Friday (Nov 30th) and Saturday (Dec 1st) will see the Fall to Winter Fest in Boston. This event, organised by Drink Craft Beer, will feature offerings from 25 New England craft brewers and cider makers (sounds like the CAMRA beer festivals in the UK). The official festival beer is from Peak Organic and has the rather unusual name "Nut Your Average Ginger". This is a harvest brown ale brewed with malt, hops, honey, chestnut puree and Massachusetts-grown ginger from Old Friends Farm.

If you do go to the Fest have a look for a gingerbread stout called Merry Mischief from the Boston Beer Company and a pale ale with honey and ginger called Honey Gingah Pale Ale from the Cody Brewing Company. Let me know your views on these beers.

Old Friends Farm is an organic farm in Amherst, Massachusetts. It grows a ginger variety from the Biker Dude Organic Ginger Farm in Pahoa, Hawaii. Because the climate in the US Northeast is not as good as Hawaii, the ginger is harvested at five to six months. This results in young and tender ginger which is perishable. Fortunately, it can be frozen.

The Hindu Business Line reports that the price of ginger in India is rapidly increasing because demand is exceeding supply now that winter is here. Ginger consumption during winter in India is always high as people attempt to protect themselves from the cold and damp. And demand will continue to exceed supply as many farmers, disappointed with the low prices in recent years, have decided not to grow ginger in the new season. I'm sure that this is a decision they are now bitterly regretting.

When I started reading the article I wondered why India doesn't import ginger to cover the shortfall. According to the article the existing import duty on ginger still makes Indian ginger, already an expensive commodity on the world markets, the cheaper option. So old ginger stock is being released to the local markets.

A standard comparison measure of world commodity prices is the concept of price parity. This benchmark price is calculated by taking an average of prices over a period of time. For example, the USA uses a period of ten years. If we assume that India uses the same period as the USA, its ginger price parity is an average of the price of ginger over the previous ten years. India's current ginger price parity is the highest of all the ginger-producing countries.

Hobbit Ginger Beer, Snoop Partnership, Dutch Exports & Tissue Culture

Are you a fan of the Lord of the Rings? Or hobbits? Or Tolkien? If you are and you like your ginger beer then you will be interested in this. The Good George brewery in Waikato has been selected to brew a non-alcoholic ginger beer for the Green Dragon in Hobbiton. But the Green Dragon isn't real, I hear you say. Well, it is now. In the Lord of the Rings trilogy the Green Dragon pub was actually only the front, the rest didn't exist. And during the final instalment it was burned to the ground (I don't remember that!). But the Green Dragon has now been rebuilt as a real pub for the forthcoming The Hobbit film trilogy. Unfortunately, the pub is only open to those on the Hobbiton tour. (Source: Waikato Times).

Gladstone Hall, the former home of Australian ginger beer magnate William Starkey, is now on the market. If you have at least $2.4 million and fancy living in the Sydney suburb of Dulwich Hill, you can find more information here. But I am more interested in the ginger beer itself. Starkey started brewing ginger beer in Sydney in 1838 and became so successful that he eventually had the largest ginger beer factory in the southern hemisphere. I can't seem to find anything else about Starkey's ginger beer. Can anyone help?

The Naples Beach Brewery in south Florida recently received state clearance to commercially produce alcoholic beverages. One of its new beers is a mango ginger Belgian ale. Sounds very American.

A press release has announced details of a partnership between the US rapper Snoop Lion (apparently he is sometimes known as Snoop Dogg) and Reed's Ginger Brew to raise awareness of Snoop's Mind Gardens Project in Jamaica. The project's aim is to establish organic community gardens capable of producing fresh fruit and vegetables for school-aged children. Reed's founder Chris Reed has said that he wants to give something back to Jamaica as his company's successful drinks are based on traditional Jamaican-style ginger beers.

just-food has reported on the rising demand from China for traditional English cheeses including the increasing popular dessert cheeses such as white stilton with mango and ginger. It is quite likely that the ginger in these blended cheeses came from China in the first place.

I've just been reading some interesting statistics from the Centre for the Promotion of Imports, an agency of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and known by the Dutch acronym CBI. In 2010, the Netherlands accounted for 35% of all ginger imports into the EU and was the largest EU importer. Again in 2010, 65% of total ginger exports from the EU came from the Netherlands. Some of these Dutch re-exports contributed 6.8% of total British ginger imports.

So why the Netherlands? Towards the end of the 16th century Dutch traders started dealing in spices from the East. Soon after, the Dutch East India Company was formed and this lasted for nearly two hundred years. By then the Dutch spice trade, including ginger, was so well established that it continues to this day. It may seem incredible but last year the Netherlands was the world's third biggest exporter of ginger behind China and Nigeria.

The idea of the EU exporting ginger sounds strange, doesn't it? How can a region which doesn't grow ginger (or at least not commercially) actually export it? The answer is, I don't know. I can only speculate that it could be some sort of added-value or preferential rate. Can anyone enlighten me?

just-drinks has reported a fall in the losses of Castle Brands, the New York-based spirits and wine group. A contributory factor in this improvement is the rise in sales of Gosling's Stormy Ginger Beer, up 45.5% to 74,959 cases in the last quarter. You can always rely on ginger!

A new ginger breeding facility has just opened in the Malaysian state of Sabah, according to the Borneo Post. It uses in-vitro technology to produce 500 plantlets from one parent ginger plant in a process which takes six months. It is hoped that production of disease-free stock will help Sabah meet its demand for 24,000 kg a month.

A press release on PRWeb has announced the forthcoming launch of a loose leaf ginger tea blend in time for Christmas. The Tea Spot, from Boulder in Colorado, has created a blend featuring smoked black tea from China and ginger tea from Honduras. It sounds like the ideal drink for elevenses.

Ginger Rodent, Maine Farming, Price Rise & Success In Trinidad

Last week, Danny Alexander MP celebrated the launch of Ginger Rodent beer from the Cairngorm Brewery. For those of you who follow British current affairs, that event will probably raise a smile. But for those who don't, let me explain. Danny Alexander is the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, a British government cabinet post, and number two to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He also has red hair and represents a constituency in the Scottish Highlands. Last year, Harriet Harman, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, said of Alexander in a conference speech, "Now, many of us in the Labour Party are conservationists and we all love the red squirrel. But there is one ginger rodent which we never want to see again in the Highlands – Danny Alexander."

Commercial ginger growing seems to be moving further north in the US. A recent article in the Portland Phoenix featured the Good Shepherd's Farm in Bremen, Maine, which has just harvested its first ever crop of over 100 lb. I was also surprised to read in the same article about Freedom Farm, Maine's biggest ginger grower, which has harvested about 400 lb. At this latitude the ginger must be harvested young but as I've said before, baby ginger is becoming extremely popular in the US both cooked and raw in salads.

The climate in Maine is classified as Humid Continental Climate which is characterised by humid and warm to hot summers, and cold and snowy winters. This differs quite considerably from more traditional ginger growing regions such as India, Nigeria and Jamaica. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer will again sponsor Christmas programmes on ITV1, ITV2 & STV. The brand will also be running a TV advertising campaign starring the Tickety Boo couple George and Camilla. (Source: The Drum)

Here's an unusual story from Fiji. A septuagenarian former mathematics lecturer ignored advice from the Fijian government and planted ginger on dry sugarcane land in an area of the country not known for growing ginger. And he wasn't just dabbling. Master Dass planted three acres in March 2012 and has now harvested at least five tonnes. Other farmers are now hoping to emulate his success. (Source: The Fiji Times).

According to the Central Statistical Office of the Trinidad & Tobago government, ginger consumption in 2010 far exceeded local production following an increased demand for ginger products. So it was pleasing to see that farmers responded by raising production from 97,000 kg in 2010 to 186,800 kg in 2011 (an incredible 98% increase in just one year). As well as a larger harvest, the price of ginger also fell which must have made local consumers very happy.

We are nearly halfway through the rainy season in southern India. Running from October to December, the region receives a soaking from the Northeast Monsoon with most of the rain falling on one particular state - Tamil Nadu. As you can imagine, under these conditions there are going to be some monsoon-related ailments such as upset stomachs, colds and aching joints. To combat these, locals often resort to traditional herbal medicines. One of these, sukku malli kaapi, is popular in south Tamil Nadu. This is a brew made from dry ginger, coriander and lesser galangal (a member of the ginger family). (Source: The Hindu)

I've read that Indians like to chew a small piece of ginger with a very small pinch of salt to ward off the common cold. I chew a nugget of crystallised ginger each morning (without the salt) and although it hasn't stopped me from just having a cold, it certainly tastes good.

Still in India and the Deccan Herald reports that the price of ginger has increased considerably in the town of Chikmagalur in Karnataka. Last year, ginger fell as low as Rs 300 for a 60 kg bag. Last week, ginger was fetching up to Rs 2,200 a bag and harvesting only started this month. A number of factors have contributed to this rise. Winter in north India increases demand for ginger coffee and ginger tea. Demand also increases with the approach of the festival season. And, finally, there has been a low yield in the neighbouring state of Kerala.

One Indian festival where participants consume ginger food and drink, not exclusively I must add, is Diwali. This "festival of lights", which is about to end, is held across the country.

Here is an interesting article from the St.Louis Post-Dispatch on how a ginger liqueur business started. I must admit that it has given me a few ideas.

The Rutland Herald in Vermont has reported that a new brewery will open later this month. The reason I am interested is that one of the two launch beers from Foley Brothers Brewery will be of the ginger wheat variety.

New TV Advert, Jamaican Revival, Price Rise & Ginger Snap Ice Cream

Diageo’s Jeremiah Weed Root Brew is to appear in its first UK TV advert targeted at Scotland. The advertising campaign for the ginger drink will run for a month starting on November 1st. It will be focused on Scotland where the brand is proving popular. I tried a Root Brew recently and really enjoyed it. And in case you are wondering, I don't live in Scotland. (Source: Campaign Live)

In my last post I mentioned that the Great Lakes Brewing Company will be launching its Christmas Ale (complete with fresh ginger) on November 1st. I've just read on the Ohio Breweries Beer Blog that the brewery has joined forces with Mitchell's Homemade Ice Cream to create a Christmas Ale Ginger Snap ice cream. It contains the fresh ginger from the beer with extra organic ginger and homemade ginger snaps. Sounds like ginger heaven.

The ginger revival continues in Jamaica, according to the Jamaica Observer. Once grown in many parishes all over the island, ginger is now grown principally in the parish of Manchester. Research is being carried out by the locally based Christiana Potato Growers Co-operative (I don't know why either) which has been responsible for distributing 35,000 pieces of disease-free ginger of the Jamaica Blue and Jamaica Yellow varieties to selected co-operative members. The importance of the revival can be seen by the fact that Jamaica imports 70% of all that it consumes.

allAfrica reports that this week President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania has been on a working tour of the Kilimanjaro Region where he launched a ginger industry in Same District. Ginger has been produced in Same for about fifteen years but has been hampered by a lack of investment. Private sector investment is now becoming available which will allow reliable production for both domestic consumption and export to Kenya, Germany and the Netherlands. The President's visit should really be called a re-launch of the ginger industry.

Much Tanzanian ginger production is organic but because it cannot be certified as such, it is classed as non-organic. It is said that the reason it is grown organically is because farmers cannot afford any agricultural inputs like pesticides.

Autumn in the US generally means pumpkin beers and ales from American brewers. But not for Bison Organic Beer from Berkeley in California. For this brewery it is the welcome return of Organic Gingerbread Ale. Another one I'll never be able to taste. (Source: CraftBeer)

It is a good time to be a ginger farmer in the Nepalese district of Ilam, according to República. A year ago ginger fetched Rs 5 per kg. Today you can expect Rs 35 per kg, a 600 percent increase. And some traders are predicting that the price could rise further next month, possibly reaching Rs 45 to Rs 50 per kg. It seems that the reason for the increase is low production in some northern Indian states. But there is a downside to this news - Nepalese shoppers are having to pay more.

It is not unusual for Indian farmers to take out bank loans to enable them to grow ginger. But what happens when farmers are unable to repay the loans? The State Bank of India decided that it would sell the ginger at auction now. The farmers went to the Kerala High Court and argued successfully that the ginger would command a better price if sold during the peak ginger season next March. The ginger is now being held in state warehouses. (Source: The Times of India)

Ginger Research, Import Concerns, Theft & Christmas

Let's start with a sporting trivia question. What did Babe Ruth, the legendary American baseball player, enjoy for breakfast? Apparently, he drank two pints of bourbon and ginger ale. Ruth must have enjoyed his ginger as he personally endorsed Red Rock Cola, a popular ginger ale and cola product.

The story about Fijian ginger exports to Australia continues. Queensland farmers and politicians are concerned about the risk of pest infestation and the threat to jobs resulting from cheap imports. These farmers have raised their concerns with the Australian Senate Rural and Regional Affairs committee. This committee will produce a report by the 29th of November. Interestingly, Queensland farmers are also concerned about the import of pineapples from Malaysia.

Ginger is a very important export commodity for Fiji. The bulk of these exports, at 830,000 kg and worth $6million, takes the form of immature ginger principally for the New Zealand and European markets.

James White Drinks has extended its Beet It range of beetroot juices with the launch of Beet It With Ginger, an organic beetroot juice with ginger. The Food & Drink Innovation Network reports the owner of James White as saying that as only 30% of people love beetroot, adding ginger will immediately increase that percentage. I should be able to find a bottle in my local Waitrose.

McCormick, the international herb and spice producer, has identified ginger as one of seven must-have flavours for the forthcoming festive season, according to a company news release. I've never really thought about ginger with my Christmas turkey but the possibility of a ginger and orange glaze immediately comes to mind. What do you think?

The Birmingham Mail reports that thieves have made off with £12,000 worth of Fox’s ginger nuts and shortcakes from a Walsall industrial estate. This haul is obviously too much for personal consumption so will have to be offloaded somewhere. So if you are having a quiet pint in a West Midlands pub, don't be surprised if someone whispers over your shoulder, "Psst, want some ginger?".

As we have seen in previous posts, Americans have developed a taste for Belgian-style Witbier with ginger. I've found another one, this time from San Francisco's Triple Voodoo Brewing, called Witopia. This 5.5% abv wheat beer contains ginger, coriander & orange peel. (Source: Shanken News Daily).

Still in the US and November 1st sees the launch of this year's Christmas Ale from the Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland, Ohio. This four-times World Beer Championships gold medal winner is a holiday ale which has been brewed with the addition of fresh ginger, honey and cinnamon. I think that this shows that ginger-spiced beers and ales can not only be refreshing in the summer but also warming in the winter.

And here is another one from the States. Sabra Dipping Company has just launched Asian Fusion Garden Hummus where Asia meets the Mediterranean. This interesting sounding hummus is made from ginger and sesame (and a few other things).

Next year will see the publication of a research paper entitled "Value-added bioethanol from spent ginger obtained after oleoresin extraction". Conducted by the Food Engineering and Technology Department at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai, the research will show that spent ginger can be used to produce bioethanol. The spent ginger is what remains after the extraction of oleoresin and constitutes more than 90% of the original raw material.

I like to keep an eye on ginger agricultural developments in the US. This is a country which, apart from Hawaii, has not been known for growing ginger. But an increasing number of innovative, adventurous and entrepreneurial farmers have taken the plunge and started to produce ginger. To assist these farmers, the University of Minnesota has established a ginger research programme at its Southern Research & Outreach Centre in Waseca. Researchers here plant 100-150 pounds of ginger a year in high tunnels.

The Kathmandu Post reports that the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Nepal Ministry of Commerce and Supply will be promoting the production of ginger in Taplejung and Bhojpur districts. Both of these districts are known for growing ginger. This new initiative will introduce improved ginger 'seed' with the intention of harvesting ginger with a lower fibre content. Low fibre is a characteristic in demand in the international markets and can command a higher price.

New Ginger Beers, Preservative Use, Oleoresins & Crisps

I was surprised to read that in the late 1950s, doctors in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, recommended ginger ale and pretzels as a cure for babies with an upset stomach. Apparently, the drink is no longer used as the sugar content can exacerbate the problem and also giving a baby a fizzy drink isn't ideal. I would have thought that the spiciness of ginger would have been completely unsuitable.

Last month, Fever-Tree launched its Naturally Light Ginger Beer in the US. It joins the company's existing Ginger Beer and Ginger Ale with all three made from a blend of three gingers from Nigeria, Cochin and the Ivory Coast.

The latest unusual ginger-spiced beer I've spotted is Antebellum Ale from the Craggie Brewing Company in Asheville, North Carolina. The brewery has taken an 1840s American recipe containing ginger, molasses and spruce tips and added malt and hops for a modern twist.

In June, the Philadelphia Brewing Company launched Commonwealth Ciders. Next year, the brewery is planning a seasonal ginger cider. I'll let you know when it arrives.

The Gleaner from Jamaica carried an interesting article recently which had me reaching for the dictionary. It's about a farmer who grows soursop and who wants to produce a soursop juice commercially. Soursop, for those of you who, like me, had never heard of it before, is a tropical fruit with a taste of strawberry and pineapple. What brought the article to my attention was the use of ginger as a preservative for the juice.

Ginger has long been known as a preservative and a quick online search will reveal a wide range of ginger preservative uses including bread, pork, West African soft cheese, fresh fish and orange juice.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has announced the recall of certain Clef Des Champs brand Organic Ground Ginger products which may contain salmonella, reports MarketWatch. The recall appears to be nationwide.

Waitrose is to launch an alcoholic ginger beer as part of an own-label revamp. I'm surprised that there hasn't been one before (as far as I know).

Hollows & Fentimans will be promoting its alcoholic ginger beer with a Halloween marketing campaign this month, reports FoodBev. My understanding is that although Fentimans and Hollows & Fentimans are, in effect, the same company, Fentimans produces non-alcoholic drinks and Hollows & Fentimans produces alcoholic drinks. Nice drinks.

The Nepalese Department of Food technology and Quality Control has selected ginger as one of six agricultural products with wider export potential, according to The Himalayan Times. With ginger exports earning an impressive Rs 507.6 million in the last fiscal year, farmers are being encouraged to switch to organic production and then gain the added financial benefit of processing the ginger instead of exporting it raw. Preserved ginger commands a good premium although Nepal would be up against established players like Hong Kong and China.

Another region looking to increase its market share is the northern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The State Agriculture Minister has called for the creation of more ginger oleoresin extraction plants. Oleoresins are naturally occurring mixtures of oil and resin. Ginger oleoresin is used to flavour a wide range of food and drink products. (Source: The Hindu Business Line).

If you live in Japan you may be interested in a soon to be launched ginger and fried chicken flavoured crisp. But, according to PotatoPro, these crisps will only be available for a limited period.

The Nigerian Guardian has reported that a government department is developing plans to cope with the after effects of flooding on agricultural land. Although Nigeria produces enough both to feed itself and also to export for much needed foreign earnings, the production of crops such as ginger, cashew nuts, sweet potatoes and citrus fruits was affected this year by a combination of severe flooding and high post-harvest losses. Any farmer, politician or scientist will accept that you cannot mitigate against the effects of flooding but that something can and should be done to reduce the amount of post-harvest waste.

Incidentally, Nigeria start growing ginger in 1927 and is now fifth in the world production table.

Longevity, Recall, Unusual Bottle Find, Award Winners & Price Rise

The Dogfish Head Craft Brewery is an innovative and quirky brewery from Milton, Delaware. I like to follow developments because its beers, whether they reach production or not, can be very imaginative. One beer I read about recently is a soup-like brew called Hot Thoup!, an imperial pale ale with added ginger and carrots. I don't know what it tastes like and I never will as it will only be on tap while supplies last.

The Daily Express reported that Dorothy Peel, who has just celebrated her 110th birthday, attributes her longevity to a daily glass of ginger ale with a bit of whisky. I shall raise a belated glass to you, Dorothy.

A fascinating archaeology article was featured in Get Surrey last week. Professionals and volunteers have been excavating the ruins of Woking Palace, a building used by Henry VII, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. The article mentioned one particular unusual discovery - a ginger beer bottle. The bottle, of the Codd variety, was marked Castle Brewery (Guildford) and dated between 1910 and 1918. It is believed that the bottle was discarded during the 1911 Lord Iveagh excavation.

A couple of supplementary facts. Lord Iveagh was chief executive and, subsequently, chairman of Guinness. A Codd bottle incorporated a marble and a rubber washer in the neck and was designed for carbonated drinks by the British soft drink maker Hiram Codd in 1872.

Thai Ginger Butter is one of a number of products to be recalled by Sunland, Inc, according to many media outlets including CNN.

The Riverfront Times blog reported on an interesting development in University City, Missouri. Three local businesses have collaborated on the creation of two new sodas. One of these drinks is Pi Ginger Beer which is described as a cross between ginger ale and a spicy Jamaican ginger beer.

This is a bit late (early August actually) but better late than never. The Wrest Point Royal Hobart Fine Food Awards show, organised by The Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania, is a key event in the Australian culinary calendar. I'm mentioning this because a number of ginger products picked up awards (not enough in my view). So congratulations to (deep breath): Tasmanian Ginger for Ginger Kisses, Choc Cherry Ginger Bites, Scary Gingerbread House and the Gluten-Free Gingerbread Man; Cocobean Chocolate for Macadamia & Ginger Bark; Red Dragon Organics for Certified Organic Ginger Beer and Living Elixir; Tasmanian Chilli Beer Company for Ginger Chilli Beer (Non-Alcoholic) and Ginger Beer (Non-Alcoholic); Carlson's Handcrafted Ginger Cordial; Doolan Country Rhubarb & Ginger Jam; Nina's Fig & Ginger Jam; Lemon Ginger Marmalade from Pirates Bay Berry Farm and, finally, Taverner's Tasmanian Double Ginger Honey. So, if you live in Australia, add these to your shopping list. You can see the full list here.

The latest unusual ginger-spiced beer I've found (read about, not tried) is Autumnation from the Sixpoint Brewery in Brooklyn, New York. This beer is brewed with ginger, pumpkin and "wet" hops. "Wet" hops are used freshly picked rather than dried in the traditional manner.

In the early summer I mentioned that the sowing of ginger in the Indian state of Karnataka had been adversely affected by the absence of the monsoon rains. The Deccan Herald has just reported that farmers in the village of Shanivarasanthe in the Kodagu district of the state have just started taking what I assume is newly-harvested baby ginger to market. Because the lack of rain has affected the quantity of ginger, the consequent lack of ginger at market has led to an increase in the wholesale price. Good news for farmers but bad news for shoppers.