Import Concerns, Loans Write-Off, Crabbie's Back & Big Kahuna

Australian ginger farmers will be meeting this week to discuss a report which recommends the import of fresh ginger rhizomes from Fiji. According to The Weekly Times, it appears that the farmers are not necessarily concerned about the competition but more about the possibility that the imports could introduce exotic pests and diseases into the country. If the Australian government does allow imports, the ginger will have to pass a number of stringent tests and abide by certain conditions. Naturally, the ginger will have to be free from soil and any other visible foreign matter. Once harvested, the ginger must be inspected and certified by the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji. And finally, the ginger must be acceptable to the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

The Press Association revealed that Tesco stores in Scotland will stock the latest offering from Mackintosh of Glendaveny - a ginger flavoured rapeseed oil. That could be interesting. Ginger flavoured chips perhaps.

Last year, Crabbie's became one of Everton Football Club's official partners. The drinks company has announced on the club's website that it will be back for the start of the new season this coming weekend with the popular Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer and the newly rebranded John Crabbie's Cloudy Ginger Beer.

The Guardian from Nigeria carried an interview with Dr.Gloria Elemo, the Director-General of the Nigerian Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO). When asked what technological initiatives the institute has undertaken, Dr.Elemo responded with a number of examples including some ginger developments. The domestic production of ginger powder under the institute's guidance has reduced imports which has resulted in a corresponding saving in foreign exchange. And the production of ginger oleoresin (a naturally occurring mixture of resin and essential oil) has the potential, it is believed, to stimulate the rural economy.

Stone's Ginger Punch is now available for a limited period in 250ml cans decorated with the Union flag. The drink is a mix of ginger wine and lemonade (source: Packaging Europe).

The Indian state of Karnataka is normally one of the country's major ginger growing regions. I say "normally" because this year many parts of the state have been hit by a drought. For some unknown reason the monsoons decided to give this state a miss. To help ginger farmers (and producers of vanilla and arecanut), the repayment of up to Rs25,000 of loans has been waived. But, according to the Deccan Herald, the state government has been urged to waive all farm loans.

The Canadian Beer News announced that Vancouver-based Granville Island Brewing's Ginger Beer is returning again for the summer only. The 5.0% abv beer is brewed with malt, hops, yeast and Big Kahuna ginger from Hawaii.

Big Kahuna is an organic white ginger which is ideally suited to Hawaii. It has been widely distributed to growers throughout North America. But I did notice earlier this year that East Branch Ginger, a major ginger 'seed' supplier from Pittsboro in North Carolina, stopped supplying Big Kahuna for this season and replaced it with another Hawaiian organic variety called Da Kine Ruhi. This replacement variety differs from Big Kahuna in that it has yellow tips. Yellow in ginger indicates a high level of curcumin, known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Ginger Cider, April Fool, New Launches & Reducing Waste

Next month Alnwick, in north Northumberland, will play host to a cider and chilli festival, according to the Northumberland Gazette. One of the features of this event, organised by both the Alnwick Food Festival and the Alnwick Beer Festival, will be the unveiling of a collaborative effort from Thistly Cross and Belhaven Fruit Farm called Ginger and Chilli Cider. Both Thistly Cross and Belhaven Fruit Farm use locally grown produce where possible. Both businesses are based in Dunbar which is officially the sunniest place in Scotland (but not warm enough for growing ginger). I didn't realise until now that Thistly Cross already produces an alcoholic ginger infused cider. If you can get to the festival on May the 4th and 5th let me know what you think of this intriguing new drink.

If you are a student of British political history you may already know this. It is 1855 and Lord Palmerston, at the age of 70, has become British Prime Minister for the first time. Following the formation of his government, Benjamin Disraeli, a political foe, wrote to a friend that 'Palmerston is really an impostor, utterly exhausted, and at the best only ginger-beer, and not champagne, and now an old painted Pantaloon, very deaf, very blind, and with false teeth, which would fall out of his mouth when speaking, if he did not hesitate so in his talk'. They really did have a way with words back then.

Last Friday the 2012 budget was presented to the Guyanese parliament. It wasn't something I was waiting for in particular but my attention was drawn to a comment made by the finance minister, Dr Ashni Singh, regarding last year's successful introduction of a spice project. This project was introduced to promote diversity in hinterland communities by growing crops like ginger and turmeric. A Guyana Office for Investment aim is to become the breadbasket of the Caribbean whilst at the same time increasing exports to North America and Europe. The latest available UN Comtrade figures show that in 2010 Guyana was a net exporter of ginger with the Caribbean being the principal destination.

Today, as we all know, is April Fool's Day and it can be quite interesting and, at times, frustrating trying to find the obligatory spoof or silly story in the newspapers. Having found the story in my newspaper today I had a look at past stories and found a particularly relevant one in the Daily Express from 2006. "Scientists yesterday revealed that broken biscuits are in fact the perfect material to help resurface roads,” the Express informed us. “Years of experimental research revealed that crushed-up ginger nuts are the best biscuit for a road’s sub-base, as they are more porous and allow water to drain away.” The story was accompanied by a picture showing serried rows of gingernut biscuits being steamrollered into the tarmac. I love these stories.

The Jamaica Information Service reported on a scheme which is proving to be financially beneficial to many farmers. The Jamaica Exotic Flavours and Essences Company, in conjunction with the Jamaican government, will buy any produce which has been rejected by customers for being too small or unattractive and convert it into purees, flavours, essences and juices for the food and beverage industry. This scheme applies to a wide range of crops including ginger. It's difficult to imagine ginger being rejected for being unattractive. This is a scheme which can and should be adopted by many other countries.

Back in February I posted that Kumbalangi in the Indian state of Kerala would be the first flat coastal location to grow ginger, a crop normally associated with hill farming. IBNLive has now reported that the project officially started yesterday.

A new report on the spices and seasonings market states that the Asia-Pacific spice market will grow by 5.6% over the next five years, according to FnBnews.com. If you couple this with the increasing world demand for spices, driven by a growing awareness of the health benefits and a fascination for ethnic cuisine, then the outlook for farmers in countries such as India, China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka appears to be very positive indeed.

The Financial Express informs us that the eastern Indian state of Orissa has decided to identify horticultural crop clusters and then use these areas to develop a streamlined marketing infrastructure. Ginger clusters can now be found in the Phulbani and Koraput districts. The state is said to have perfect rainfall conditions for growing ginger, so good that it has now become self-sufficient in the crop.

Fentimans has launched a cool & less fiery version of its traditional ginger beer. The new drink is called, unsurprisingly, Cool Ginger Beer and will be available in the familiar 275ml bottles. It has been botanically brewed in the usual way with Chinese ginger.

Startup company Berry White launched a range of white tea-based organic drinks including a lemon, ginger & acai berry flavour. I like to think that if you are going to launch a new range then ginger is a must. The drinks were released to the trade at last week's Food & Drink Expo 2012 in Birmingham.

off licence news reported another launch last week when Stone’s Ginger Wine released a limited edition "Fabulously British" pack for this summer. This Accolade Wines product aims to highlight the brand's British heritage. Its lifespan will also cover the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the London Olympics.

Finally, a request from the Lancashire Evening Post. A Preston man is on a quest to find a part of his family history - a John Herbert ginger beer bottle. I know it is unlikely but can you help?

New Beers & Whisky, Stone's Advert & Healthy Curries

Welcome to the first post of this blog's second year. I hope that you still find this eclectic mix of ginger news and personal comments of interest. Let me know if there is anything else you would like me to cover.

Here's a beer I missed at Christmas - There Is No Santa from those inventive folk at BrewDog from Fraserburgh in Scotland. It was a limited edition seasonal stout brewed with cocoa nibs and ginger stems. Apparently, it has a gingerbread flavour. Did anyone try it?

Occasionally I will mention the launch of a new ginger-infused or flavoured beer from an established brewery (as you can see from the previous story) but I don't believe that I've ever had the opportunity to introduce you to a new ginger-infused beer from a brand new brewery. The Okoboji Brewing Company is so new that it only held its launch party a few days ago. The Sioux City Journal reported that one of the four launch beers was Midwest Charm Farmhouse Ale With Ginger Added. This 6pc abv beer will, according to the brewery website, pair quite unusually with red and white meat, and with fish.

Many of you will have come across old advertisements and thought "they can't say that". Until fairly recently advertising standards were, to be honest, non-existent. But I was surprised to find an old advert for Stone's Original Green Ginger Wine which made the bold claims that it "Increases virility in men" and "Increases sex drive". I can't believe that these claims have ever been medically substantiated. I found this advert on GingerWine.com, a site dedicated to ginger wine. Although the site is full of interesting facts and paraphernalia about ginger wine, unfortunately it does not seem to have been updated for a number of years.

The Mail Online carried an interesting story on why curries are good for you. Most curries contain spices with strong anti-bacterial properties. Ginger, wearing its spice hat, can slow bacterial growth in meat by 25pc. Add that to the corresponding figures of up to 80pc for garlic, cinnamon and cumin and you end up with a range of tasty and healthy curries. Good news for the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and here in the UK where Wikipedia describes curry as an integral part of British cuisine.

The Atlantic reported during the week that The King's Ginger, one of my favourite ginger drinks, is now available in America. This 41pc abv (82 proof in the US) liqueur from Berry Bros & Rudd is made with macerated ginger root. If you haven't tried it yet, treat yourself.

Reed’s Inc., one of the leading ginger soft drink makers in the US, has announced record revenues of $25 million for 2011. According to the press release, the fourth quarter of 2011 marked the 9th consecutive quarter of 20pc-plus growth. I'm not aware of Reed selling its products outside of the US and Canada. With the rapid growth in ginger products around the world I'm sure that the company must have investigated the export potential of its drinks.

It's been a busy week for ginger drink launches and announcements. The Brisbane Times reported that next month will see the launch in Australia of a ginger-infused lager. XXXX Cloudy Ginger Beer has been developed by Lion Nathan, one of Australia's leading alcoholic beverage companies. Brewed to appeal to the more adventurous drinker, the drink uses the popular Summer Bright Lager. The brewer will produce a limited run of 23,000 cases to test the market.

The Digitel reported that Virgil Kaine has recently launched Bourbon & Ginger, a ginger flavoured bourbon whisky. The drink has been developed in Charleston, South Carolina, by infusing two-year-old Kentucky bourbon with natural ginger and a secret blend of exotic ingredients. It is 40pc abv (or 80 proof in the US).

You probably already know this but I've only just found out that the actor Andy Serkis put a lot of strain on his throat and vocal chords when taking the part of Gollum in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. He countered this by drinking copious quantities of a homemade drink containing honey, lemon and ginger. The drink became known as Gollum Juice.

The Himalayan Times announced that Nepal has selected ginger as one of three projects to represent the country in the WTO/Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Trading Stories scheme. The EIF is a multi-donor programme which encourages what are known as Least Developed Countries to be more active players in global trading markets. The nominated ginger project, "Enhancing Sanitary and Phytosanitary Capacity of Nepalese Ginger Exports Through Public Private Partnership", concentrates on developing ginger added value which is now acknowledged as the best way of maximising income and profit.

A few weeks ago we reported on the call for more ginger farmers in Fiji to help Buderim Ginger, through its Frespac subsidiary, meet its export contracts. Noosa News has now updated the story by reporting that Buderim Ginger is optimistic that it will honour its commitment to export more than 1000 tonnes. Fiji is now an integral part of the Buderim operation, even when Australian domestic production is good.

And finally, Bruce Cost, America's leading authority on ginger, has said of ginger that "It’s probably the premier herb on the planet".

Car Colours For 2012, Call To Re-Establish Jamaican Ginger & Latest Crabbie's Launch

There was good news this week for ginger lovers in New Zealand courtesy of the Otago Daily Times - Monteith’s seasonal Summer Ale is back on the shelves. This bright, gold beer is made with four different malts, a single hop variety, honey and, of course, ginger. My interest in this beer was overshadowed somewhat by the reminder that I live in the UK, a glorious Indian summer has just ended, and winter looms on the horizon.

The Ford Motor Company has just revealed the colours for its forthcoming range of new cars and they include Ginger Ale. This colour will be seen on the new Ford Escape when it is unveiled at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show next month. The Ford blog said that Ginger Ale was selected for its energy and refreshing qualities and went on to describe it as "a classic gold neutral with slight green undertones, it’s found naturally in rocks, minerals and sandy beaches as well as jewellery, gems and textiles". This blog post is a fascinating insight into the work involved in selecting a colour for a particular model. I didn't realise it but Ginger Ale was selected as the Colour of the Year for 2008 by ICI Paints. ICI's Colour Futures Team said at the time that Ginger Ale was the colour of life-sustaining sunshine and described it as "having the ability to convey a mood of warmth, sociability and welcome".

A Jamaican business executive last week issued a call to arms and demanded that his country re-establish itself as a producer of top quality agricultural produce. Dr Keith Amiel, corporate affairs manager at Caribbean Broilers Group, told The Gleaner that Jamaica needs to go back to basics and invest in a new generation of farmers. We all know that the Jamaican ginger industry virtually disappeared in the 1990s through a combination of disease, poor farming and bad management. Dr Amiel highlighted two products which were known worldwide for their use of Jamaican ginger. He mentioned Canada Dry Ginger Ale and Stone's Ginger Wine which originally had the word Jamaica on their labels but have now had it removed because Jamaica could not supply enough. I think that it is fair to say that Jamaican ginger will not appear in these products again but it doesn't mean that new products couldn't be developed. I'm convinced that Jamaican ginger is its own unique selling point.

Never a week goes by without an announcement or item of news from that remarkable ginger drinks company, Crabbie's. One week it will be news of another sponsorship deal, the next week it will be the launch of the latest in the series of witty TV advertising campaigns with George and Camilla. Last week the market was presented with a new member of the Crabbie's family - Crabbie's Spiced Orange. This is a blend of the existing Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer, orange and spices. Apparently, Halewood International, who make Crabbie's, used consumer research which said that orange has the most popular flavour profile. I'd like to suggest that there would be a market for a Spiced Lemon and/or Lime equivalent as well. The ginger and lime combination already works successfully in their nut mix.

Great British Beer Hunt, Adulterated Ginger & Ginger Joe

The finalists for the Sainsbury's Great British Beer Hunt 2011 competition have been announced. I mention this because one of the beers on the list is a ginger beer. Frederic’s Great British Ginger Beer from the Frederic Robinson Brewery in Stockport, Cheshire, was one of the winners in the North West England & The Midlands region. It will be listed with all of the other regional winners in Sainsbury's stores for three weeks in September. Based on sales figures and reviews, two beers from each region will go through to a grand final where the overall winner will be listed in 300 stores for at least six months. Many producers would die for the chance to be listed in just a dozen stores so this is a wonderful opportunity for the re-born British craft beer industry.

I don't know anything about Frederic’s Great British Ginger Beer apart from fact that it is produced by the same company which brews Ginger Tom, a springtime seasonal dark ale infused with bruised Chinese ginger root. The company must be hoping to make a name for itself in the world of ginger as it also produces the highly regarded Frederic Robinson Ginger Ale for Marks and Spencer.

The Taiwanese Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed that a consignment of ginger powder adulterated with the plasticiser DIBP was imported from Herbsoul Natural Products Limited, China in June 2008. The DOH has now introduced two measures to control the quality of imported plant products: the first is that all kinds of extracts from plants in powder and liquid form made in China will be required to gain Taiwanese FDA approval before importation, and the second is that all products from Herbsoul must have a test certificate from the Chinese authorities which meets FDA and customs approval.

Recently we tried Ginger Joe, a new alcoholic ginger beer from the makers of Stone’s Original Green Ginger Wine (see launch announcement). We found that it had a pleasant sweet aroma and a taste reminiscent of orange marmalade and ginger, with hints of caramel. Served chilled, it was a refreshing, fizzy drink with enough of a ginger bite to quench your thirst. However, we found that it was not quite as gingery as the label suggested and, for some of our tasters, the use of artificial sweeteners in addition to sugar made it a little too sweet. It has an ABV of 4% but the sweetness did mask the taste of the alcohol. Our overall verdict is that if you like a drink a bit on the sweet side, this is certainly worth a try.