Welcome Rain, Hawaiian Ginger & Antimicrobial Activity

Ginger farmers in Queensland, and the Gympie region in particular, have been worried about the drought-like conditions they have endured since the middle of last year. So they were relieved when it eventually started to rain with the arrival of the remnants of ex-tropical cyclone Oswald. And rain it certainly has. According to The Gympie Times the Langshaw ginger farm received 600mm (nearly 24") of rain in four days. This amount of rain falling in four days would normally indicate very heavy downpours but it was actually gentle rain. Because of this there was remarkably little erosion and the crops survived. Queensland produces about 80% of Australia's ginger.

Patrick Atanalian, the executive chef at the Sanctuary restaurant in Minneapolis, has created a simple but unusual dish. He has taken a classic potato soup and given it a bit of a bite with the addition of ginger beer.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has revealed that Nepal has become the third largest producer of ginger in the world after India and China. In 2011 the country produced 216,289 tonnes of ginger. A continuing concern for the Nepalese government must be that India buys 98 percent of the country’s total ginger exports. (Source: The Kathmandu Post).

The Department of Botany at Gauhati University in North-East recently completed a research project entitled "Comparative Chemical Constituents And Antimicrobial Activity Of Normal And Organic Ginger Oils". It concluded that organic ginger oil was more effective than non-organic ginger oil at fighting Stephylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli and all the fungal strains except Penicillium sp.

The Ohio Breweries blog informs us that the Great Lakes Christmas Ale (which contains ginger as a significant component) was the top craft beer in terms of sales in Ohio and the ninth in the whole of the USA. And to think that it is only on sale for eight weeks. The brewery produced 359 batches (I don't know how large a batch is) which contained 7,000lbs of ginger.

For the last few years the University of Hawaii at Manoa has been conducting research into bacterial wilt of edible ginger in conjunction with Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE). Bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) is the biggest threat to ginger farmers in Hawaii and many other ginger-growing countries. The aim of the project is to grow wilt-free ginger in pathogen-free soil. (Sources: University of Hawaii, SARE).

One of the participants in this research project is Hugh "Biker Dude" Johnson from Puna Organics in Hawaii. He supplies many of the ginger farms springing up in the eastern USA. Johnson was the first farmer in the world to export organic ginger.

Parts of Hawaii suffer from an infestation of Kahili ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum), an ornamental ginger which features in the top 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species. Interestingly, a strain of Ralstonia solanacearum has been used as a biological control against Kahili ginger.

The ginger harvest has started on time in the Nilphamari district of northern Bangladesh, according to The Financial Express. It is too early to speculate on the quality and quantity of this year's harvest but the district, which in the past produced enough ginger for the entire country, currently accounts for half of Bangladesh's needs.

Buderim Ginger announced recently that chief executive Murray Richardson had resigned for family reasons after just eight months in the role. I don't know what effect that will have on the company.

Independence Ginger Tea, Celebrity Chefs & Welcome Price Rise

The Retail Gazette carried an interesting article on how UK supermarkets are boosting their sales and profits by working in partnership with a celebrity chef or two. In particular, the article mentioned the success at Waitrose following the launch of Delia Smith's recipe for Rhubarb & Ginger Brûlée. Within the first seven days of the launch 14 weeks' worth of rhubarb was sold and the sales of ginger jumped by more than 3000%. Must make a note of that; when I open my shop, find a famous chef.

Good news for ginger lovers in Germany. LWC Michelsen has brought out 18 new jams of which two are ginger & pineapple, and ginger extra. Apparently, Germans prefer jam rather than marmalade at breakfast so these are ideal if you need a bit of a kick first thing in the morning.

Following the recent launch of Adnams Ginger Beer (see post), the brewery has swiftly followed it with another new beer called Flame Runner. This limited edition 3.9% abv pale ale, launched to commemorate the London Olympics, has been brewed with malted barley from Europe, hops from Australasia, and spices from Africa, Asia and America. The brewery describes the beer as having a 'subtle ginger aroma' which I take to mean that it does actually contain ginger.

The Business Standard provided welcome news for Indian ginger farmers when it reported that the price of both bleached and unbleached ginger had risen by about 10% at the spices markets. The rise was attributed to renewed domestic interest and increased export demand coupled with restricted levels of imports. Presumably prices will fall again when imports increase.

The Daily Star yesterday reported that the Bangladesh Tariff Commission Chairman has criticised the business community for raising the prices of essential commodities just before the start of Ramadan next week. He said that ginger is being bought wholesale for Tk37 but sold retail for Tk75. Two weeks ago, Commerce Ministry officials, businessmen and traders agreed to limit profits to no more than ten percent during the month of fasting.

The Fiji Times, like many other news organisations, likes to print extracts from its archives. Recently it reprinted news from July 8th, 1966, which contained a reference to 457 cases of ginger being shipped to New Zealand on the Union Steam Ship company's MV Tofua. I don't know how much ginger this is by weight as the term 'case' does not have a definitive meaning in this context. The same vessel also carried 2912 cases of bananas.

The Jamaica Observer carried a business article about Jamaican Teas Ltd, a company which has a 50 percent share of the local market. Apparently, the company has a plan to produce a 100 percent Jamaican ginger tea to commemorate Jamaica's 50 years of independence. The only possible problem could be the difficulty in acquiring enough local ginger in time for Independence Day on the 6th August.

Flying On Ginger, Running On Ginger & New Drinks

A Singapore Airlines guide recommends either drinking ginger ale or eating a ginger-based Oriental dish to combat airsickness, according to an article in The Australian. But the article does suggest that if you take the ginger ale option, let it go flat first. This is because carbonated drinks can cause bloating through the expansion of stomach gases when descending. And I'm sure we all know what happens with excess gas.

The Dorset Ginger Company has added to its increasingly popular range with the launch of a new variant, “Strong and Dark”. The company has built its reputation on the Dorset Original Ginger drink but, following customer research, found that a sizeable number wanted a stronger tasting version. Hence the aptly named new drink.

Over to Sydney now and the release of a ginger-spiced real ale for the Australian winter. The Malt Shovel Brewery has produced Ginger Chops Alcoholic Ginger Ale with an abv of 4.2%. It also contains a little Australian honey. A post on the brewery blog contains the following line: "It won’t cure the common cold, but it’s sure to keep your innards warm this winter, while you doze off and dream of all things ginger". I'm sure that they meant to write "... and dream of All Things Ginger".

Traditionally, the planting of ginger 'seed' in many parts of India starts with the onset of the monsoon season. The heavy and widespread rain is essential for the newly-planted ginger to become well established. The monsoon system which graces India is known as the Southwest monsoon, or 'Nairutya Maarut', and persists from June to September. But this year the rain has been somewhat erratic. The monsoon arrived three days later than predicted, moved across many, but not all, expected areas and then stopped for a week. According to the Deccan Herald, this absence of heavy rain in the state of Karnataka has affected the sowing of ginger, an important crop for many farmers. Information regarding the progress of the monsoon can be found at the India Meteorological Department website.

Business Standard reported that Indian ginger exports rose by 37% in the last financial year with a corresponding 69% increase in value. In terms of actual tonnage (21,550 tonnes) it is not that large for the world's biggest producer of ginger but it is still quite impressive when you consider that the vast majority of the country's output is for local consumption. So it is understandable that farmers are concerned when their planting schedule is disrupted.

Two new styles of drinks have been launched in the USA, neither of which I have encountered before. The first concerns Mamma Chia which has launched three new chia-based vitality beverages including Grapefruit Ginger. Chia, or Salvia hispanica, is a flowering plant from the mint family which is grown in central America and neighbouring regions for the seeds it produces.

The second launch concerns Reed’s, Inc., maker of a range of non-alcoholic ginger drinks, which has entered the Kombucha market with the launch of four ginger-based flavours in its new Culture Club Kombucha range. Kombucha is an effervescent fermentation of sweetened tea which originated in Northeast China and is now appearing around the world (but not, it seems, where I live).

I've just discovered Jeremiah Weed Root Brew at a local supermarket. Naturally, I bought a bottle which I plan to open in the next few days. I'll let you know what I think.

The grough website reported on the remarkable endurance feat of Colin Meek who has just completed a 30-day 600 mile run along Scotland's watershed. This watershed is a drainage divide which runs north to south through the country separating river systems which flow to the east from those which flow to the west. As well as running such a distance, Colin had to climb over 30 munros. A munro is a Scottish mountain over 3,000 feet high. What brought this article to my attention was that he sustained himself with Fentimans Ginger Beer.

Today (July 1st) is officially Canada Day although, as it is Sunday this year, tomorrow is the statutory holiday. To celebrate the day, Ipsos-Reid conducted a survey of which one question was to select a national drink. Although beer topped the list with 42%, ginger ale came in a creditable fourth with 17%. Happy birthday Canada!

Still in Canada and a potted history about Canada Dry Ginger Ale in the National Post. The article mentioned that the drink received praise from the 8th Duke of Devonshire who pronounced it "the champagne of ginger ales". He must have known what he was talking about; he had been the British Secretary of State for India. India introduced the British to the pleasures of ginger.

Two weeks ago I wrote about a ginger flavoured Belgian Saison-style beer from Utica in New York. Saison beers, it appears, are becoming increasingly popular in the US. I have found another one and this time it is on the other side of the country in San Diego, California. The Green Flash Brewery has created Saison Diego, an unfiltered golden ale with orange peel, grains of paradise and Chinese ginger. Grains of paradise, or Aframomum melegueta, is a member of the ginger family.

Last week I highlighted the concern shown by Queensland's Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry minister about the bacterial dangers of importing fresh ginger from Fiji. This concern has now been backed by the president of the Australian Ginger Growers Association, Anthony Rehbein. According to News Mail, he fears that Fijian ginger could have unknown diseases and strains that are more virulent than anything in Australia. He is also concerned that the price of Fijian ginger could drive down the price of domestically grown ginger to the point were it would become uneconomic.

There is good news for Bangladeshi shoppers this Ramadan, according to The Daily Star. In past years the price of basic commodities such as ginger has risen to exorbitant levels during the month of fasting. But this year Commerce Ministry officials, businessmen and traders have agreed to limit profits to no more than ten percent.

Another piece of scientific research using ginger and yet another one from Nigeria. The study, 'Effect of chronic intake of Zingiber officinale (ginger) enriched diet on the gastrointestinal sections of albino rats', was conducted by the Department of Biochemistry at the Federal University Of Technology. The research demonstrated the digestive stimulatory effect of ginger.

Silver Sofi™, Crabbie's Sauces, Ginger Lager & Rising Prices

I'll start this week by congratulating those ginger products which are the National Association for the Speciality Food Trade's 2012 sofi™ Silver Finalists. This year's runners-up, to be honoured tomorrow in Washington D.C, are Japanese Ginger Chocolate Bar from Romanicos Chocolate, Ginger Peach Black Tea from The Republic of Tea, Ginger Soother from The Ginger People and The Latest Scoop Ginger Pear Sorbet from Cable Car Delights. You can see the other silver finalists here. Hopefully I will have a list of gold award winners next week.

Crabbie's was in the news again last week. This time, according to The Drum, it has launched two ginger flavoured sauces, Ginger Spiced Sweet Chilli Sauce and Sweet Ginger Splash, in the Asda supermarket chain. The sauces have been created in partnership with the increasingly popular sauce company, Trees Can't Dance.

Halewood International, producer of the Crabbie's range, plans to double in size, says the Liverpool Daily Post. It will be interesting to see how Crabbie's con>tributes to this growth.

The Retail Times reported that Firefly Natural Drinks has teamed up with Selfridges to launch a limited edition lemon, lime & ginger drink in a collectable yellow bottle. The drink will be available in all Selfridges stores to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics.

Lance Seeto is an Australian chef who works at the Castaway Island restaurant in Fiji and who also writes a weekly column for The Fiji Times. His column last week described how he was struggling to shake off cold symptoms brought on by the start of winter. Naturally, he was advocating the use of ginger as one of the remedies to strengthen the immune system. I've never really thought about winter in Fiji. According to Wikipedia, the average winter temperature in Fiji is a chilly 22C (72F). Where I live in the UK the average summer temperature seems to be a positively balmy 22C. It's all relative, I suppose.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Ted Baker, the British-owned international fashion chain, celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee week by giving out free ginger beer in its shops.

The Americans love their malt & hop beers with added ginger. The Utica Observer-Dispatch reports that the local FX Matt Brewing Company has launched a limited-edition Saranac Lemon Ginger in the style of a Belgian Saison. A Saison is a pale ale brewed for harvesting farm workers in Wallonia, and, by definition, is also for a limited period.

Still in the US and the Minneapolis St.Paul Business Journal introduced us to a new brewery and taproom called 612Brew. The brewery will launch with two regular beers and a summer seasonal beer (the one of interest to me) by the name of "Mary Ann". Mary Ann, named after a character from the 1960s TV series Gilligan's Island, is a German-style lager with added freshly grated ginger. Ginger is also a character from Gilligan's Island.

I'm always pleased when a restaurant uses ginger prominently in its signature dish. These dishes help to spread the word about ginger far beyond places where it is grown. The latest signature dish which I have discovered (on the Internet, that is, not in person) is Chocolate & Ginger Venison, from the Hildebrand Ristorante in Cape Town. A number of South African websites describe it as a fusion of Italian flavours and African flair.

Unfortunately, there was a ginger product recall last week. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency reported that Scholtens Inc has recalled Granny Appleton Crystallized Ginger in 125g packs owing to the presence of sulphites. The recall applies to packs sold in Ontario. I'm not sure whether sulphites are supposed to be in this product or that the level is too high.

In recent years, manufacturers have become more aware of the problems which sulphite ingestion can cause, particularly for those with respiratory disorders. Four years ago Queensland's Buderim Ginger started a two-year project to determine whether chlorine dioxide could replace sulphites as the preservative of choice. I've never read about the project's outcome but here is an interesting, and recent, report from the Queensland government on the same topic.

A smile must be returning to the face of many a ginger farmer in southern India. And the reason why? The price of ginger has actually started to rise. With most Indian ginger harvested during May and imported ginger not set to arrive yet, there is now a shortage in markets countrywide. This shortage has naturally translated into a rise in price. One farmer was so surprised by the increase that he decided to sell his crop which had been set aside for next season's seed. But some Indian farmers have missed out on the near three-fold increase in recent weeks. Farmers from Kerala leased land in the neighbouring state of Karnataka. As the leases expired by the end of May, these farmers had to harvest and sell their crops before the price started to rise. It is feared that the price will fall in the near future as cheaper imports from China reach the markets. (Sources: The Hindu, mathrubhumi, Deccan Herald)

Still in India and a story in The Telegraph about a ginger farmer in the state of Assam. An important source of income for him is the export of his ginger to Bangladesh. The best financial return is gained by exporting dry ginger as the drying process retains the quality and increases the shelf life. Unfortunately for him, there are no drying facilities in the region which means that he can only export ginger flakes. These flakes, which I imagine are painstakingly air-dried, have a more limited use and, consequently, a lower value.

Queensland's Sunshine Coast Daily has reported on a leaking dam and the potentially damaging consequences for ginger farmers who rely on the water supply. It hasn't been a problem so far as recent rain has replaced the leaking water but this can't continue once the weather changes.

Crabbie's In US, Extended Shelf Life, Storage & Sponsorship

Let's start this week with our old friend, Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer. Halewood International has announced that it is to launch the drink in the US and Canadian markets, according to Drinks Business Review. The report added that the drink will be launched initially in New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington DC, California, Illinois, Texas, Kentucky, Ohio and Wisconsin. So keep your eyes open for it.

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.

New Season, Squatters Harvest & Ginger Discoveries

Following the recent initiative by the Jamaican government to give a boost to the agriculture sector in general and the ginger sector in particular, the Jamaica Information Service has reported that an integral part of the initiative will be for farmers to register for a praedial larceny programme. My first question after reading the report was 'what is praedial larceny?'. Praedial larceny is the theft of agricultural produce or livestock from a farm. To combat this type of crime the police will join forces with the ministry, judiciary and farmers.

Bangladeshi farmers are only a week away from planting a newish variety of ginger. BARI Ada-1 (developed by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute) is due to be planted from the last week of March to the last week of April. This variety is said to be suitable for cultivation anywhere within the country which must be a big selling point. When I read through the specification sheet for this particular variety, I was surprised to see that one of the recommended sources of fertiliser is cow dung. It's nice to see that something natural is being used.

The Gympie Times in Australia carried a story about a topic which we've heard before and I'm sure we will hear again. A dairy farmer from Kia Ora (a small town near Gympie) has decided to sell his cattle because he cannot command a satisfactory price from the supermarkets. He said that he is being paid less from the supermarkets than the cost of production. This is becoming a regular occurrence here in the UK as well. But whereas some farmers in this situation sell up and seek alternative employment, this particular farmer is switching to ginger cultivation. He is in an ideal location in the ginger-growing heartland of South East Queensland and is only 41 miles from Buderim, Australia's largest ginger processing company. I wish him well.

Last November I wrote about a Fijian government scheme to give squatters the opportunity to become ginger farmers. Well, The Jet has reported that a community of 25 ex-squatters in Lomaivuna has started harvesting its first ginger crop with an estimated value of over $30,000. One acre of the harvest will be used for next season's 'seed' stock. The Fijian Local Government minister is now calling for more squatters to join the scheme.

VietnamNet Bridge reported that a team of Vietnamese and international scientists have discovered two new ginger genera in central Vietnam. The plants have been named Newmania serpens N. S. Lý & Skornick and Newmania orthostachys N. S. Lý & Skornick. My feeling is that they are ornamental rather than edible. According to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) the discovery of a new plant genus is unusual whereas the discovery of a new plant species is far more common. The NMNH reported ten years ago about the discovery of a new ginger genus, Smithatris supraneeana, in Thailand.

Back to Jamaica again and a speech given by Roger Clark, the agriculture minister. The government is putting a lot of effort into restoring the Jamaican ginger industry to its former glory and with ginger among the fastest growing spices in international trade, now is the time to do it. Clark said that over the last ten years global ginger imports have increased from 276,000 tonnes to 423,000 tonnes with Jamaica's contribution estimated to be less than four percent. Although domestic production is now increasing, the country is only able to supply 10% of its direct international orders. Jamaican ginger is being grown specifically for niche markets where its high quality can command a premium. The national short-term production target of 21,000 tonnes will require 3,000 acres at an improved target yield of 7 tonnes per acre. One target set for this year is the production of 589 tonnes of disease-free 'seed' stock for open-field cultivation next year. Another target is to allocate 10 acres of covered cultivation which, I imagine, is to protect against the vagaries of the weather.

The Deccan Herald had an interesting feature on how ginger cultivation has changed land-use patterns in the Indian state of Karnataka. Local farmers in the Banavasi region, known in the past for its deep-water paddy fields, switched to ginger after discovering the vast profits to be made when ginger farmers from the neighbouring state of Kerala started renting farmland. Ginger cultivation is very capital intensive as it requires considerable quantities of fertilisers and pesticides to achieve high yields. In this region land had to be drained which must have been expensive.

Moonshine, Proverbs, Pesticide, Beer & Exports

I do enjoy a touch of lateral browsing, if that is the correct term for going off on a tangent. I came across the Chinese proverb "The older the ginger the hotter the spice" and I was only checking for the latest football scores. Now, I know that the older ginger is, the more potent it becomes. But the proverb, apparently, means that the older you are, the wiser you become. Well, I had a feeling that was the case.

And here's another old Chinese saying - "Eating radish in winter and ginger in summer keeps the doctor away". I've no idea what it means beyond its literal interpretation.

Here's something you don't see very often on a brewery website - the perfect drink for the designated driver. This is what Waiheke Island Brewery from New Zealand says about its Hauraki Gulf Ginger Beer. This unpasteurised drink is made from juiced ginger, a lot of lemons, raw sugar, honey and plenty of fizz.

Still in New Zealand and news in the Nelson Mail that Moa Brewing will be launching a dry ginger lager sometime this year. Moa Brewing is known for producing bottle conditioned beers in its Marlborough brewery.

Good news last week for Bangladeshi housewives out shopping for ginger in the kitchen markets of Dhaka. Since late last year the retail price of ginger has gone up from Tk40 per kg to Tk90 per kg with the rise being blamed on poor supply. But last week the price dropped dramatically to Tk60-Tk65 per kg. This could have something to do with the fact that the Bangladeshi ginger harvest has now started.

The start of the Bangladeshi ginger harvest was reported by The Financial Express which also mentioned that the bulk of the country's ginger comes from the Nilphamari district in Northern Bangladesh. I've yet to see any reports on the quality and quantity of the new harvest but last September the ginger fields of Nilphamari were hit by a severe virus. Whether this has affected the new crop remains to be seen. As recently as 2008 it was predicted that ginger cultivation in the district could actually cease as disease and virus infection became widespread. The district, which in the past produced enough ginger for the entire country, is still waiting for a consistent supply of virus-free and high yielding ginger seed.

Here is an idea for the UK government. British aid is given to India which has stated that it doesn't want it. So why not buy some virus-free and high yielding ginger 'seed' and give it to the farmers of Nilphamari. You never know, the district could end up supplying the entire country again. And Bangladesh would not have to import from China and India.

The Times of India reported that five people have died in India after drinking a ginger-based ayurvedic medicine containing more than 60% alcohol and sold as an illicit liquor. One of the victims was the retailer of the drink who had been selling it for more than five years.

Cumbria, in North West England, is one of the most sparsely populated counties in the UK. I've often wondered how it managed to produce such a wide range of spiced (including ginger) products, the most famous, I think, being Grasmere Gingerbread. I've now discovered that the small Cumbrian port of Whitehaven was, in the 18th Century, the third largest port in the UK specialising in trade between the Americas and Africa. This trade involved the importation of a range of exotic spices including ginger. It is quite likely that the ginger came from Jamaica which had been exporting since the mid-16th Century.

The Jamaica Information Service announced that the Jamaican government will oversee the expansion of country's ginger and turmeric industries to meet the growing export markets (Whitehaven again perhaps?). The expansion will take the form of 500 extra acres of farmland, more value-added production facilities and extra officials in the agriculture ministry's Export Division. It is interesting to see that after years of inactivity, the Jamaican government has adopted a volte-face and is know actively seeking to rebuild a once internationally famous spice industry. Incidentally, turmeric is a member of the ginger family.

Flavoured tea is becoming popular with tea drinkers in Calcutta, according to The Times of India. Both the young and old have discovered the delights of teas such as fennel & ginger, and ginger, mint & lemon. This is an area in which the West has a lead as flavoured teas have been popular in Europe and the US for a number of years now.

I was speaking to an Indian colleague recently about the mandi markets in India. These are markets where you buy your fruit and vegetables. I had always pronounced it as MAN-DEE but I was wrong. It is actually pronounced MUN-DEE.

Fresh root ginger has become an essential product on the shelves of UK supermarkets. In 2009, Tesco generated sales in excess of £3m on fresh root ginger alone.

Business Standard reported on the difficulties facing Indian spice traders and producers as they grapple with a mass of standards and regulations covering food safety, sustainability and traceability. Countries like Germany, the UK, France, Japan and Australia all insist that Indian exports must adhere to their own standards. But India cannot afford not to meet these standards and regulations as failure could affect the country's position as the largest producer and exporter of spices in the world.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the phasing out of methyl bromide in Chinese ginger production. Methyl bromide (also known as bromomethane) is a soil fumigant used as an effective control against nematodes, fungi, insects and weeds. First used in France in the 1930s, methyl bromide is used to control root knot nematodes, pythium soft rot and ginger wilt when applied to ginger cultivation. The use of methyl bromide is being phased out as it is believed that its use damages the ozone layer. Many countries have already phased out use of the pesticide with Japan committing to phase out by 2013.

The Kathmandu Post reported that the Nepalese government is set to take unspecified measures to reduce agricultural imports to ensure better prices for Nepalese farmers. Nepal imported ginger worth Rs176.67 million last year with China accounting for Rs99 million and India Rs72 million. A recent post on the Nepal Spot Exchange blog said that production of ginger in India, the destination of much of Nepal's ginger, has increased in response to Indian government agricultural subsidies. This has forced down the price of Nepalese ginger. The blogger was also critical of the poor state of Nepal's processing and warehousing facilities. So I'm feeling rather confused as to what the Nepalese government is hoping to achieve. Nepal exports a lot of what it produces but its export markets are not as profitable as they once were. But the country cannot retain more of what it produces to replace the imports as it doesn't have adequate storage facilities.

Ginger Cocktails, Tchaikovsky, Missing Markets & Gingerbread City

Here is a drink I found this week that sounds quite interesting. It is called Ginger Rootini and is one of the signature cocktails at Om Modern Asian Kitchen in Tuscon, Arizona. Described by the Tuscon Citizen as "a must for ginger lovers", the drink is made by first grating and juicing fresh ginger, and then adding Domaine de Canton (a ginger liqueur), vodka and lime juice. I haven't tried it yet as I don't live in Tucson. And I don't have any Domaine de Canton. And I don't have any vodka either. Still, ginger and lime go nicely together.

Capital, a New York online news publication, introduced me to a fascinating story about Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and gingerbread. In May of 1891, Tchaikovsky was on his way by train to visit Niagara Falls. During a brief interlude whilst changing trains in Utica, he wrote a letter to his brother, Modest, which contained this extract "ginger bread and toy soldiers have started dancing in my head". The following year these images were presented to the world as the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from The Nutcracker.

Next week the 11th World Spice Congress will convene in Pune, India. From February 9-11, over 200 international delegates and over 250 Indian delegates will meet to discuss aspects of spice under this year's theme of "Sustainability and Food Safety: Global Initiatives". The spice industry (and we are including ginger here) has to ensure that it meets the demand for quality products on a consistent basis. Incidentally, no country produces as many different spices as India does.

I never knew until the other day that a mainstay of the family medicine cabinet, gripe water, probably contains ginger. I say "probably" as it depends on which formulation you have bought. And I was surprised to learn that after more than 150 years there is no medical evidence for the effectiveness of gripe water. But it seems to work.

Two of the most pleasing aspects of surfing the Internet, I find, are discovering things I never knew and being able to visit places I've never been to before and not likely to in the future. It was last night that I discovered the existence of the Old City district of Sana'a, the capital of Yemen. I wasn't looking for Sana'a in particular but it was gingerbread that brought it to my attention. The Old City is sometimes referred to as the Gingerbread City as many of the buildings give the appearance of having been built from gingerbread, complete with white icing. There is an impressive photo of these buildings on the UNESCO World Heritage Site website.

Last December Frankie's Olde Soft Drink Company from South Africa complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that the South African retailer Woolworths copied Frankie's packaging and flavours for its own branded range of drinks. The plagiarised drinks included Fiery Ginger Beer and Homemade Ginger Beer. Last week the ASA found in favour of Frankie's because Woolworths had copied the phrase "Good Old Fashioned Soft Drinks". The ASA also ruled that “the packaging may not be used again in its current format in future”. Woolworths in South Africa is not associated with the famous F.W.Woolworth organisation.

A couple of weeks ago I commented on the doubling of the retail price of ginger in Dhaka's kitchen markets from Tk40 per kg to Tk80 per kg. Bangladesh's The Daily Sun has now reported that the price has gone up again to TK90 per kg which, according to the newspaper, is "increasing miseries in the people's lives". The price rise is being blamed on increased demand coupled with poor supply.

The previous story links quite nicely to a report in the Manipur Mail. The newspaper reported that ginger farmers in the neighbouring state of Mizoram are giving up ginger cultivation because of a lack of markets to sell their produce. I found it puzzling that Mizoram, the fourth largest ginger producing state in India, cannot sell its ginger when the state borders Bangladesh which, as we have seen, cannot meet demand. Mizoram farmers are claiming that the state government has not shown sufficient interest in ginger agriculture. Can I suggest that a Mizoram state official talks to a Bangladesh government official. The Mizoram government may also be interested to know that imports of Chinese ginger through Chittagong, Bangladesh's biggest seaport, surged in January (see The Financial Express).

Whilst researching the last story I learned that both Mizoram and Manipur are members of the Seven Sisters States, a group of contiguous states stuck out on a limb in north eastern India.

The Daily News in Sri Lanka reported that over 163,000 families in the Kandy district in the centre of the island have benefited from government agricultural assistance. 7,386 kg of ginger seed have been distributed which could produce up to 30 tonnes of usable ginger.

Here's a recipe for ginger champagne I found on the French website 1001 Cocktails. For each person, take 1 cl of vodka, 2 cl of ginger syrup and 10 cl chilled champagne. Then mix and drink. It seems ideal for Valentine's Day. Apparently it is very popular in New York.

Finally, can anyone tell me whether a ginger compress actually works. Research online tells me many things such as how to make one and what ailments it is purported to assist or cure. Personally I don't subscribe to the "releasing stagnating energy" school of thought but I can well believe that it stimulates blood flow.

Korean Ginger, Rhubarb Shortage, Wheat Beer & Indian Workshop

I was pleased to read that ginger features in yet another flavour trends report for 2012. This time it is a honey ginger combination which appears in the top 10 beverage flavours predicted by Bell Flavors & Fragrances. Bell also predicts that Korean, Cajun and Greek will be the emerging cuisines this year. Bell is an international company which supplies flavours, fragrances, botanicals and anything else which stimulates the human senses.

It was only after reading about Bell's predictions that I realised that I didn't know much at all about Korean ginger apart from the fact that ginger is grown on the Korean peninsular. So what have I found this week? Well, ginger features prominently in Korean cuisine which is said to be heavily influenced by Chinese and Japanese dishes. Apparently, more ginger is grown in North Korea than South Korea although I don't know how one can access North Korean agricultural data. But we can see the figures for South Korea from the United Nations' FAOSTAT database on Mongabay. These figures show that during the 1961-2009 period ginger production peaked in 1995 but has dropped quite dramatically since then. Why? That's something for me to find out. South Korea now imports ginger from China.

The fact that ginger is used in Cajun cuisine doesn't come as a surprise as my understanding is that Cajun cooking wouldn't be Cajun without a bit of a 'kick'. And ginger can certainly deliver that. I've never really taken an interest in Greek cuisine so I can't say whether ginger is used or not. But I can say that ginger was used in Ancient Greece. Pedanius Dioscoridesa, a Rome-based Greek physician, pharmacologist and botanist, said that ginger could be used as a digestive aid (as today) and as an antidote to poisoning (don't know about that one).

Good news for ginger farmers in Thailand as Fresh Plaza reported that the annual harvest is well underway and that the price and quality appear to be the best for many years. Thai ginger, which is harvested from December to March, is known for having a mild flavour along with many other Thai herbs and spices. The majority of Thai ginger farms are in the north of the country which escaped the ravages of the recent flooding.

Off to Bangladesh now and the report in Reflection News regarding the rising price of ginger in Dhaka's wholesale and retail kitchen markets. Ginger is now being sold for Tk80 per kg compared to Tk40 per kg just two months ago. The increase is being blamed on a fall in domestic production this season. I get the impression that Bangladesh does not produce enough of its own ginger at the best of times as the country needs to import additional produce from Burma. Incidentally, Bangladeshis tend to use ginger more as a condiment rather than a spice.

Bad news for British ginger lovers last week as The Scotsman reported on the possibility of a shortage of rhubarb this year. I don't know about other countries but in the UK ginger and rhubarb are a match made in heaven. The report said that there is panic in the rhubarb triangle. If you've never heard of it before, the rhubarb triangle is an area in Yorkshire bounded by Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield which is known nationally for producing the finest forced rhubarb. A surrounding low-rising mountain range called The Pennines normally creates the required frosty growing conditions but this winter has been unhelpfully mild so far. So keep your fingers crossed for a sudden plunge in temperature but just in Yorkshire.

The Nashville Post reported a new development at the quirkily named Fat Bottom Brewing. This spring should see the launch of an unfiltered wheat beer infused with ginger. Owner Ben Bredesen said that this currently unnamed beer has "definitely got that ginger spiciness, but the taste is much closer to a pale ale". Ben left the software industry (my previous career as well) to concentrate on brewing full time. I hope Ben doesn't mind me showing you the brewery logo.

Regatta Ginger Beer has been named as the Official Ginger Beer for Quantum Key West 2012, a major sailing event in Florida. I've never tried Regatta Ginger Beer (a thoroughly nice drink, I believe). I've never been to Florida (a thoroughly nice place to visit, I believe). I've never even been sailing (a thoroughly exciting activity, I believe) even though I live by the sea. But I wouldn't mind going to this event (hint, hint).

Nepal is a founding member of SAARC(South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation). This organisation exists to promote collective self-reliance in the fields of economic, technological, social and cultural development. According to The Himalayan Times, Nepal has identified ginger as one of 19 product and services with maximum export potential. Ginger will now have the power of the SAARC trading bloc behind it when looking for new export opportunities.

Anyone who’s anyone in the world of Indian spice attended a one-day spice workshop in Kochi last Friday. Attendees included representatives from the farming community, exporters, traders and scientists. The workshop started from the premise that global demand for spices was increasing and that India must retain its position as world leader in spices. According to The Hindu Business Line the workshop concluded by acknowledging that India must face the challenges posed by a shortage of spices available for export. It continued that the shortfall has been caused by a combination of smaller harvests and quality issues. To combat this the workshop recommended a complete overhaul of the supply chain from researchers and farmers through to exporters and consumers. Five major spices with high export potential were identified - black pepper, cardamom, turmeric, nutmeg and ginger. As we've seen from this blog, the world of ginger exports is extremely competitive. At times it can appear to be so complicated and convoluted.

And to finish this week I would like to wish our Chinese readers a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year.

DEHP Contamination, English Ginger, Tariffs and Bangladeshi Ginger

The E.coli outbreak centred in Germany is not the only food contamination alert making the news this week. Although not on the same scale, the US Food and Drug Administration is monitoring certain food products, including ginger clam tablets, imported from Taiwan. These products, believed to have come from over 180 manufacturers, contain DEHP, a chemical used as a plasticiser in the medical equipment industry. DEHP has been used before in beverages as a clouding agent to give the product, such as a fruit juice, a cloudy and therefore more natural appearance. Other countries known to be affected include the Philippines, Vietnam and Hong Kong. This reminds me of the Prohibition era in 1920s and 1930s America when a different plasticiser was added to Jake, a Jamaican ginger extract.

A joint venture between Sharp’s Brewery and the Eden Project has resulted in a beer containing English ginger. Yes, you did read that correctly. English ginger! Launched at the beginning of June, Honey Gold is a summer seasonal golden beer brewed with five varieties of hops, honey and spices including ginger which has been grown at the Eden Project. I don't think that the Indians and the Chinese need lose any sleep over this new addition to the list of ginger producing countries. Both the brewery and the Eden Project are based in Cornwall in south west England.

Last week I wrote about Fijian government's programme for resettling squatters. The Fiji Times has reported that the 20 families, with an estimated population of 100 between them, should be producing $90,000 of ginger after just five months.

I read something the other day and now I can't remember the link to it. I think it was all about encouraging women farmers to diversify into speciality crops like ginger. The talk was held under the auspices of the Pennsylvania Women's Agricultural Network at Penn State University. I'm sure that it mentioned that the ginger would have to be grown in polytunnels. Recently I mentioned that grants are available for growing ginger in Indiana. It is interesting how ginger cultivation is moving away from the tropics.

A press release from the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) was released recently detailing the proceedings of the first Provincial Farmers and Fisherfolk Congress in Samar Province. This congress was a significant event as fishing and farming are the principal economic activities in Samar. Of particular interest to me was the call from the provincial governor to consider moving into ginger farming. The governor said that there was a big market for this crop and that a foreign business partner was ready to purchase 200 tons of ginger per month. Encouragement indeed! The main markets for Filipino ginger are the UK, Germany, Japan and Hong Kong.

Last week I reported that the Sri Lankan government is offering subsidies to enable the country to become self-sufficient in ginger. The government is now ready to impose tariff barriers to encourage and protect ginger production. Presumably the government will not be too concerned about tit for tat tariffs on their ginger exports as the aim is to reduce imports and not increase exports.

Bangladesh announced that this year's prospective ginger yield in Nilphamari district is looking fairly good. This district produces more than 50% of the country's total ginger output. This year's cultivation is slightly lower than last year and government sources are concerned that future cultivation will be reduced even further because virus-free seed is not available. Maybe this is an area which should be a focus for foreign aid.