Ginger Popcorn, Exports Halted & Ginger Ale Recall

We are a little late with this post as we are working on a major development at All Things Ginger. We are not going to tell you what it is yet but when it is ready we think you will be impressed.

The Dieline, a website dedicated to package design, reports that Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale is the most successful new product launch to date for Dr Pepper Snapple Group. I've never tried it but I am quite taken with the look of the can.

A gingerbread-flavoured popcorn has been launched ready for Easter by the UK gourmet popcorn maker Joe & Seph’s. Popcorn sales in the UK have increased rapidly over the last three years with the market in 2011 worth £53 million according to Mintel. (Source: The Food & Drink Innovation Network).

There was a blunt message last week in The Produce News - "Chinese ginger exports have ground to a halt". What normally happens in China is that ginger is harvested in November and placed in sand to cure and dry in caves until January. But this winter China is experiencing one of its coldest winters in four decades and the ginger is not curing. The price of Chinese ginger has already risen as a consequence and is expected to continue rising.

The ginger revival in Sierra Leone has been boosted by the news that the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act has certified ginger for export to the USA and Europe. Sierra Leone has been exporting ginger on a small scale to the Netherlands for a number of years. This has been quite an achievement as the Sierra Leone ginger industry was all but wiped out during the civil war from 1991-2002. (Source: Awoko).

Here is some important news if you live in New Zealand and you have bought a Schweppes Dry Ginger Ale with a best-before date between January 10th and January 30th, 2014. It has got to go back. Coca-Cola is recalling this drink along with four other Schweppes drinks because of a possible problem with the glass bottle. (Source: 3news).

Greene King, the pub retailer and brewer, has revealed its 2013 guest ales calendar. And guess what? The brewer has a ginger offering. Twisted Wheel, a light ale with a twist of ginger, will be available from April to June. According to The Drinks Business, this beer is named after the famous Manchester northern soul club which had previously been the UK's first Mod club.

The Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association has published an interesting article about growing ginger in the state. We have mentioned growing ginger in Maine before in this post. Farmers in the state appear to concentrate on producing immature (or baby) ginger which is popular both cooked and raw in salads.

The Fiji Times reported that over the last ten years the country's production of ginger has been 75% immature (baby, green) and 25% mature. With the country set to start exporting mature ginger to Australia, the Ministry of Agriculture needs farmers to convert their immature ginger crops to mature ginger.

In our last post we reported that Nepal has now become the third largest producer of ginger in the world. The Himalayan has now stated that Nepal is third in terms of the total export volume of ginger but eighth in terms of value. In other words, Nepal is not getting enough for its ginger compared to other countries. The article also mentions that ginger production in Nepal is growing a faster rate than in the major competitor countries of India, China and Indonesia. The Kathmandu University School of Management has found that the best way to increase export earnings is to export value-export value-added ginger. And the best form of value-added ginger is ginger powder which is seeing increasing demand around the world.

The price of Nigerian dried ginger appears to be stable even though 70% of the current harvest has been sold. Incidentally, Nigeria used to be the third largest exporter of ginger until Nepal overtook it.

The Radio Taiwan blog published a post on the benefits of ginger in winter. What took my eye was the fact that ginger is harvested in Taiwan all year.

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.

Ginger Beer Battered Fish, Organic Ginger & Mountain Water

Congratulations to Nick Attfield and The Fish Hut, his award-winning fish and chip van in Southwold, Suffolk. He has just won the Best Main Dish award for his Lowestoft Longline-Caught Cod In Ginger Beer Batter at the British Street Food Awards 2012.

I've just been reading an extract from Seaports of India and Ceylon by Allister Macmillan (published in 1925 I think). Remember, I read anything and everything about ginger. Anyway, there is a page on the New Colombo Ice Company from what was then known as Ceylon. The company made a non-alcoholic ginger beer under the Elephant brand name in amber glass bottles. It switched from stone to glass for hygiene reasons and because, as Macmillan says, "fearful things creep into stone bottles, and remain there undetected in death, however great care may be exercised in prevention".

In 1941, New Colombo Ice Company changed its name to Ceylon Cold Stores Limited which it had bought in 1934. In the 21st century, the Ceylon Cold Stores flagship product is Elephant Ginger Beer (commonly known as EGB). It is still sold in amber glass bottles.

Organic farming is becoming very popular in Uganda, according to a recent article in All Africa. The National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda represents the organic production of a wide range of crops including ginger. These crops, which command a higher price than non-organic products, are sent for export with the assistance of the Uganda Export Promotions Board. The export of organic ginger could be extremely profitable as it is becoming highly sought-after. At present, the major organic ginger exporters are China and India. The highly regarded organic ginger from Hawaii tends to be marketed on the US mainland.

The North Wales Brewery has an interesting unique selling point. Based on a hillside at Moelfre, near Abergele, the brewery produces a range of drinks from real ales to non-alcoholic ginger beer. But what makes the drinks of interest, according to the Daily Post, is the water. After becoming disenchanted with their domestic water supply, the owners brought in a water diviner to locate an alternative source. They eventually found water at 500ft and now pump up enough through the granite and slate to produce 3,000-4,000 pints a week.

Nepalese ginger exports through the Birgunj check point to India in the last fiscal year set a new record, according to The Himalayan. The 7,834 metric tonnes, worth Rs. 250.6 million, was three times higher than the previous year. Birgunj is Nepal's principal import and export point as well as being a major business centre.

Fresh Plaza reported on the big decline in the production of root crops in the Philippines during the first quarter of this year. It didn't state the reason why but two crops managed to buck this trend: ginger and sweet potato. What the article didn't mention was that ginger is often intercropped with sweet potato with both being grown under young coconut trees.

There's bad news for food shoppers in Pakistan, according to The News International. Apparently, now that summer season crops are giving way to winter season crops, prices of vegetables and salads have skyrocketed. The wholesale price of ginger has increased by 16%, a not inconsiderable sum.

How Funny Do You Think You Are, Ice Cream, Beer & Beat The Heat

I shall start this week by congratulating Yorvale for winning both Best in Class & Best Ice Cream at the Great Yorkshire Show for its Lemon, Honey and Ginger ice cream. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's the ginger! Yorvale produces its ice cream from its own herd of 40 cows.

Asia's biggest food industry event, the Taipei International Food Show, was held at the end of last month with the aim of launching new products in both Taiwan and overseas. One of the participants was the Indonesian Trade Ministry who hosted a pavilion with the theme "Remarkable Indonesia". With Indonesia being one of the ginger world's major players, it won't surprise you to learn that one of the products on show was a ginger juice. Exports of Indonesian ginger root has dropped dramatically in recent years so I am wondering whether the export of value-added products such as ginger juice is the preferred option. In a previous post I mentioned that ginger from four countries including Indonesia will be part of the Sustainable Spices Initiative.

In the last fiscal year, India exported 5.75 lakh tonnes of spices, a near ten per cent increase over the previous year. Of this total, ginger contributed four per cent which equated to two per cent of earnings. Considering that the majority of Indian ginger is produced for domestic consumption, we can see that it is also an important foreign exchange earner. (In case you are wondering, a lakh is a unit in the numbering system used in the Indian subcontinent equal to one hundred thousand).

Denver's Westword blog reports that Crabtree Brewing is moving to larger premises. Why is this of interest? Well, the brewery will now be able to make more of its regular beers including Ginger Bee, a 6.5% abv blonde ale brewed with fresh hand-cut ginger and orange blossom honey.

Americans love to add ginger to blonde beers and wheat beers. This brings me to Calicraft, a three-month-old brewery in California, which brews a 4.6% abv ginger wheat beer called Napa Smith.

August 6th this year is the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence. Celebrations will be held all over the world including a programme of film, music and comedy shows in London called Respect Jamaica 50. And Retail Times informs us that the official soft drinks sponsor of these shows will be Old Jamaica ginger beer from Cott Beverages. I've never tried this drink but Jamaicans are said to be very proud of it as it contains their beloved local root ginger with its internationally renowned fiery taste.

Old Jamaica has also been busy (and, presumably, having a good time) conducting a survey on British humour. According to Digital Spy, the survey found that 55% of men believe that they are funnier than anyone else they know compared to just 22% of women.

If you visit the Old Jamaica website before July 30th, you can enter a joke in the You Can't Beat An Old Jamaican competition.

The Toronto Star carried a timely article on using ginger in drinks to keep cool in summer. I say 'timely' as here in the south of England we are experiencing days of very warm weather (30-32C). I know this is nothing compared to what the USA has been suffering from recently but after months of wind & rain, 30C is welcome. We all know that ginger in winter can be warming but ginger in summer can also be both refreshing and uplifting. Although the article is only concerned with cocktails and beers, it is still an interesting read.

Alzheimer's Disease, Ginger Tea, Medicinal Plants & Corfu Ginger Beer

A leading authority on the causes and prevention of Alzheimer’s eats ginger every day to prevent the possible onset of the disease, according to a report in The Vancouver Sun. Neurology professor Pat McGeer, from the University of British Columbia, told the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Vancouver that ginger can help prevent the protein plaque buildup in the brain which leads to the disease. McGeer, who is 84 and still active in Alzheimer's research, said that as pharmaceutical companies are nowhere near finding a cure, it is quite reasonable for people to look elsewhere such as in their own kitchens. He also said that as well as ginger you could try blackberries, rhubarb, cinnamon, turmeric (from the ginger family), cranberries, pomegranate and blueberries.

Salada Foods is the largest coffee processing company in Jamaica and has been in coffee for over half a century. Last October the company, in a major departure from its core activities, launched a ginger tea. This drink is made, quite naturally, from Jamaican ginger. But now, according to the Jamaica Observer, the company has encountered a slight problem. In order to meet export demand for the new ginger tea they obviously need ginger. But Jamaica is not producing enough to meet the company's requirements. So Salada has started working with farmers and the agriculture ministry to increase production.

There has always been a strong relationship between man and medicinal plants. Right from the start of civilization plants have been used as medicine by men and animals, probably by animals before men. These were the introductory sentences to a workshop last week called, unsurprisingly, Man and Medicinal Plants. Organised by the Department of Botany at Bharathiar University in Coimbatore in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the aim of the workshop was to provide an understanding of how medicinal plants can be of use to man and to identify research opportunities. Zee News reported Dr K Nirmal Babu, Principal Scientist at the prestigious Indian Institute of Spices Research, who stated that spices, such as ginger and its close relative turmeric, play an important role in curing diseases such as cancer and diabetes. The modern study of the medicinal properties of food is known by the term nutraceutical, a portmanteau of the words “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical” coined in 1989 by Dr Stephen DeFelice.

There is small company in Columbus, Ohio, called Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams which has created a seasonal product called Influenza Sorbet. It contains bourbon, honey, lemon juice, ginger, cayenne pepper and orange juice.

Nigeria is a major ginger producer and exporter which seems to have cornered the market in dried-split ginger. Dried ginger can be offered whole but is usually in sliced or split form. The sliced version is easier for manufacturers to grind but tends to lose more flavour than the split version where the rhizomes are 'split' but not necessarily parted.

Ginger and other spices from the south-western Indian state of Kerala are very popular in many cities to the north. Until now these commodities have been transported by road with traders having to absorb or pass on the many costs incurred such as inter-state tax tariffs and road permits. The Indian Spices Board has now been offered a train service by Indian Railways to transport the spices and other products to cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Jodhpur. The Business Standard also reported that the new train will be called "Kairali Queen" and will be faster and cheaper than by road.

Last week I learned all about the British occupation of the Greek island of Corfu. In 1809 the French ruled Corfu and the British had taken all of the other Ionian islands. Quite naturally the British wanted the complete set and made an unsuccessful attempt at invading Corfu. I don't really know what happened in between but in 1815 the Ionian Islands became a British protectorate known as the United States of the Ionian Islands with Corfu as the seat of the British Lord High Commissioner. The islands continued to be administered by the British until 1864 when they were handed over to Greece. So why am I telling you this? Well, the British have been in love with ginger for centuries and introduced ginger-based products to many parts of the world. They introduced ginger beer to Corfu and it became an instant hit. In fact, it has become so popular that many now regard it as Corfu's traditional refreshment drink. Known variously as "tsin tsin birra" and "tzitzibira", the drink is made with grated ginger, lemon juice, lemon oil, water and sugar.

It has been nearly a year since Sri Lanka embarked on a major initiative aimed at changing the way people lead their lives. In the past Sri Lanka was built around a network of self-sufficient villages where households produced much of their food requirements themselves and those with larger areas of land produced excess quantities to sell in town markets. This lifestyle changed following the arrival of first the Portuguese, then the Dutch and finally the British. The aims of this new initiative, known as Divi Neguma, include restoring self-sufficiency, food security, healthy diets and reducing malnutrition. The government has provided households and farmers with seeds and plants (including ginger) and assistance as part of the project. The report in the Daily News also stated that Sri Lanka's vegetable and fruit consumption is less than half that of a developed country.

An Australian woman was feeling ill last week so she went to the shop to buy some ginger ale and, presumably on impulse, a lottery ticket as well. She won over A$3.3million.

Brigadier Kasirye Gwanga is the Ugandan Presidential Advisor on Military Affairs. He is also a shrewd farmer as well, according to allAfrica. Gwanga benefited from the vanilla boom from the mid-1990s until the mid-2000s. Now that the boom is over he has diversified into ginger and believes that he will become the largest grower of the crop. He has noticed that ginger, which has been grown for many years in Uganda, has now become scarce and domestic demand has to be supplemented by imports from Kenya. It looks like he has spotted an opening there.

The Ugandan government has predicted that preserved ginger has a big future. This prediction has been backed by a plan to build a ginger processing plant. But there is one problem - an insufficient supply of locally grown ginger. I couldn't possibly suggest that the Ugandan government speak to Kasirye Gwanga because of the obvious conflict of interest. But surely there must be plenty of farmers who could also start ginger cultivation now that they no longer produce vanilla.

I've come across a number of unverifiable reports that there is more incentive for Indian farmers to grow ginger this coming season than turmeric.

I'm going to finish with something unpleasant. The Miami Herald featured Andrew Zimmern, a TV celebrity who eats unusual foods. The article described his visit to an uninhabited Samoan island where he ate grilled giant fruit bat seasoned with ginger juice. Personally, I would never have used ginger but if you haven't got any cranberry sauce to hand what are you supposed to do?

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.

Cold Patent Thwarted, Nepalese Ginger, Oil Price Fall & Taste Test

Well, it didn't take long. When I was writing the first post of the year last week I wondered how long would it be before Crabbie's made an announcement. Just four days later, off licence news reported that Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer will open a ski lodge at the Outdoors Show at ExCeL London, the international exhibition and convention centre, from January 12-15. Visitors will be able to rest and sample Crabbie's products at the 1950s-inspired lodge.

The Times of India carried the story that India has thwarted an attempt by a British pharmaceutical company to patent the use of ginger as a cold treatment. The company, revealed by IBN Live to be Nicholas John Larkins (I don't know if this is correct), wanted to patent a pharmaceutical composition containing ginger and kutki (the Picrorhiza kurroa rhizome) to treat cough, bronchial asthma and lung diseases. Two august Indian bodies, the Department of Ayush and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, responded by presenting texts from the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library showing centuries of evidence that ginger and kutki are traditional remedies. Back to the drawing board.

Last April I reported on the 30-60pc markup which Pakistani retailers charged for their Chinese ginger. Now we read of a similar situation in Nepal where retailers are charging up to 45pc above the wholesale price for products such as ginger compared to the normal 10-15pc markup. The report in Fresh Plaza stated that retailers are blaming rising transportation costs.

I have wondered why Nepal exports most of its own ginger to India but then imports large amounts from China. Is it anything to do with cost or quality? Apparently, the reason is quite straightforward according to one story I've read. Transport links in rural Nepal are so inadequate that it is cheaper to import than it is to bring the produce in from the countryside. About 96pc of ginger imports come from China with the balance from Ethiopia and, surprisingly, India.

Still in Nepal, farmers from the Khotang district are switching to cultivating ginger following an improvement in the transport network, according to The Himalayan Times. As I mentioned previously, ginger is a major export crop.

If you are an importer of Chinese ginger oil you will be pleased to read in agra-net.com that the price has fallen again and is now 21pc lower than the record high set early last year.The versatile oil is used in a wide range of products from food seasoning and condiments to cosmetics, perfumes and medicines.

A report appeared last week featuring the McCormick's global Flavour Forecast for 2012. Pleasingly, one of the 12 entries is a ginger and coconut combination. I can't show you the report as it seems to have disappeared from the hosting website (not mccormick.com). Did I dream it?

Indian farmers, in a desperate bid to make windfall profits, are now adopting a risky monocrop strategy. A report in Business Standard says that farmers are putting all their eggs in one basket and allowing their traditional business instincts to be dictated solely by crop prices and margins. Now, prices and margins are important elements in any business decision but to concentrate on one crop only and then face the vagaries of the weather, pests and international competition does seem to be a little foolhardy.

I know that I'm a little bit late with this news but I thought that you would still like to read it. Buderim Ginger commissioned a survey last year which found that 89pc of Australians ate, snacked, drank or cooked with ginger products. In addition, a third of Australians consumed ginger baked goods or ginger beer at least once a month or cooked with fresh ginger at least once a month. Buderim Ginger said that ginger's versatility was one of the reasons for its success.

The South African news site, iol, conducted a ginger beer taste test and came up with the rather interesting finding that only two of the five beers tested actually contained ginger. It's not just interesting, it's frightening really. So always check the ingredients and go for the real thing. If nothing else, you will be supporting farmers in developing countries.

Hangover Remedy, Keeping Warm, Gingerbread Houses, Wassail & Toothache

I've mentioned before about the benefit of drinking ginger tea or infusion to reduce the effects of a hangover. Adelaide Now has now also advocated ginger as one of three natural hangover remedies for the forthcoming party season. It states that "It’s soothing for the digestive tract and helps relieve nausea. Try chilled ginger tea with lemon or add fresh ginger to a vegie juice." The only problem I had with the article was the comment that the warm weather in South Australia is well and truly here. I feel really envious especially as I had to scrape frost of my windscreen early this morning! Anyway, I hope that I don't have to give it a try.

Last week The Korea Herald carried an article about traditional Korean medicine in which a lecturer at Pusan National University’s School of Korean Medicine claims that drinking ginger tea in the winter "warms the body". I don't know much about Korea (both north and south) apart from what I learned from watching MASH on television. It seems that winter in North Korea can be quite nippy so the lecurer may be on to something. Maybe I should have had a ginger tea before removing the frost this morning.

Building gingerbread houses is a very popular activity in the USA. There doesn't seem to be a week without a town or city somewhere hosting a gingerbread competition or exhibition. Yesterday it was Houston's turn with its third annual Gingerbread Build-Off. This competition, to quote the Houston Business Journal, "tests the skills of teams of local architects, designers, bakers and gingerbread enthusiasts who come together to design and build a unique cookie sculpture." Hopefully I will be able to share the results with you next week. I know that the art of building gingerbread houses started life in some northern and central European countries but it has never taken off here in the UK although I am beginning to see an increase in gingerbread house paraphernalia in many shops over recent Christmases.

The Nigerian National Daily reported on an exhibition and seminar organised by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council and the Japanese External Trade Organisation. The theme of the seminar was "Market Access to Japan: Spices and Food Related Products". A Japanese food expert said that Nigerian food products were among the "best and of the highest quality grade". The expert went on to identify ginger as one of the Nigerian spice products which could "break easily into the Japanese market". I don't agree that it would be easy as Nigerian ginger would have to compete with exports from India and Thailand, both hardened and seasoned traders.

Last week's story of Jamaica's failure to win a major ginger export deal with a leading US soft drinks manufacturer has been questioned by the Jamaican government. The Gleaner, which carried the original story, has published the Ministry of Agriculture's response. It contains detailed rebuttals of the claims in the original article such as the ministry is seeking to match potential customers to the unique chemical composition of Jamaican ginger, and that the current export level is limited by the availability of disease-free planting material. An interesting article in its own right.

I've just read that the Great Basin Brewery from north Nevada has released this year's holiday beer - Red Nose Holiday Ale. This interpretation of a traditional Wassail beverage has been brewed with the addition of honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. There's not much chance of my ever tasting it but I don't think the chances of the residents of north Nevada are that much better. The reason is that it will be rare, 500 bottles rare. Each bottle of this limited edition will be hand labelled, numbered and signed by the brewmaster.

I'm familiar with the act of wassailling as a southern English tradition of singing and drinking to the health of cider apple trees but I didn't know anything about wassail the beverage. There are regional variations in the recipes but generally they involve mulled cider or beer with added sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and topped with a slice of toast. As I live in southern England I think that I should make an effort to find a wassailling ceremony close to home.

And finally, researchers at the Qazvin University of Medical Sciences in Iran are testing to see whether ginger is a suitable alternative to painkillers for toothache. According to South Africa's Independent Online an alternative is being sought as ibuprofen cannot be used by people with particular medical conditions such gastrointestinal ulcers and renal problems. You can rely on ginger to come to the rescue.

Imitation Ginger Ale, Disease-Free Stock, Rural Projects, Online Shop & Long Term View

I found a Canada Dry newspaper advertisement from 1927 which claimed that many imitations were actually made with capsicum. I delved into this a little deeper and found that it was quite common for makers of cheaper ginger ales to use capsicum in place of the more expensive ginger or use it in addition to small quantities of ginger. Usually capsicum was omitted from the list of ingredients on the bottle. Nowadays 'pure' ginger ales dominate the market. I can only assume that ginger ales adulterated with capsicum are no longer made.

Fresh Plaza carried the views of Danny Deen from Denmipex, a major produce importer and exporter from the Netherlands. He said that this season's ginger harvest in China has been good in terms of both quality and quantity. But he also said that prices will be varied because of the uncontrolled nature of Chinese exports. Must be a nightmare for importers!

Islands Business, a news website which covers the Pacific islands, reported on the efforts by Fiji to return its ginger industry to its heyday of the late 1980s and early 1990s before it succumbed to disease. To revive the industry requires disease-free ginger seed. Ginger is currently grown, quite naturally, in areas which receive adequate rainfall. Unfortunately, the problems which affect ginger, root knot nematode and pythium fungal rot, thrive in wet conditions. So the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and the Fiji Department of Agriculture have employed two farmers to produce disease-free ginger seed on their farms located in relatively dry areas. It is expected that these irrigation-feed farms will produce 60 tonnes of seed for next year and 300 tonnes for the following year. These seed producing farms will also be used to train new ginger farmers.

The Hindu Business Line carried an article with the intriguing title "How many yuppies does it take to change a village?" It introduced the reader to a State Bank of India sponsored programme for young Indian professionals to leave the comfort of their air-conditioned offices and spend a year working in a small rural community on a project of their own choosing. One of the selected projects involves the development of a value-added chain for ginger in the Wayanad district. The value-added route is becoming an increasingly popular and profitable route to take.

We sampled an absolutely gorgeous ginger chocolate the other day but we will keep its identity secret until we launch our new online shop. We are actually going to start selling products which we have tried and tested and, most importantly, liked. In other words, we will only sell products which we would buy.

Last Monday I visited the Speciality & Fine Food Fair at London Olympia. The organisers described it as the 'quintessential trade event for fine food'. I went there hunting for ginger stock for our new online shop and came away extremely happy. But with so much on display it was difficult not to think of other business ideas. Each time I saw a general deli display I thought "I want to open a deli". Each time I saw a crisp producer I thought "I want to make crisps". But by the time I left the show I was convinced that my original business idea was the best.

I came across what I thought were two conflicting stories last week. First, The Hindu reported that ginger farmers in the state of Kerala, many of them growing ginger for the first time, are living in uncertain times. Current market spot prices have plummeted by as much as 75% compared to the same period last year. The low prices have been attributed to both oversupply and disease. And second, The Financial Express reported that ginger farmers in Kerala and neighbouring Karnataka were reaping the financial rewards of investing in ginger. Even allowing for the occasional blip, over the long term (ten years and more) farmers have done extremely well. So that, I think, is the reason for my initial confusion. It all depends on whether you take a short or long term view of the situation.

The Himalayan carried a similar report about how Nepalese farmers have been attracted to ginger recently. As anything could happen next year, let's hope that these farmers take a long term view.

Geographical Indication, US Aid, Higher Indian Exports And Crabbie's Football Sponsorship

Spices Board of India has applied for Geographical Indication (GI) status for Cochin ginger. If successful, GI status will help to confer on Cochin ginger a "premium products" rating which should protect its worldwide reputation. GI status is already enjoyed by many products including Champagne, Prosciutto di Parma and Melton Mowbray pork pies. The Spices Board is part of the Indian government's Ministry of Commerce & Industry and exists to provide a link between Indian exporters and foreign importers.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has given Nepal $30m in aid to improve, amongst other things, ginger exports. The money will be targeted at increasing competitiveness and exports in selected product areas and will be allocated by NEAT, the Nepal Economic, Agriculture and Trade project. The project will run for two and a half years. Currently Nepal exports the majority of its ginger to neighbouring India.

The decision by Indian farmers to increase production of ginger has paid off after reports last week showed that for the first ten months of the current financial year exports were 126% higher in volume terms and 76% higher in value terms. With China concentrating on selling ginger to Europe, India has been able to fill the void left in West Asia at prices up to 30% lower than late 2010.

Last week I wrote that ginger farmers from Dreketi in Fiji were struggling to find a market for their produce. Within hours of publishing the post, The Fiji Times reported that the Fijian Ministry of Agriculture had held meetings with the farmers during the previous week to offer assistance in marketing and finding local markets.

Frespac Ginger Fiji Ltd, owned by Australia's Buderim Ginger, has announced that it is targetting the USA as a new export market. It currently exports 80% of its produce to Europe and 20% to New Zealand. Presumably Fijian ginger production will have to increase to meet the expected demand. This will be welcome news for the 300 farmers who are contracted to provide ginger to Frespac.

And finally, Scotland's Hibernian Football Club has announced a three-year sponsorship deal with Crabbie’s, the ginger beer company. This follows Crabbie's involvement in projects ranging from the British Comedy Awards to the Perth Festival national hunt horse racing event. The Hibs first and reserve teams will display the alcoholic ginger beer name and logo. The ladies and youth teams and general public sales will display the name and logo for the non-alcoholic version. Crabbie and Hibernian are both from Leith, near Edinburgh.

An Insect Banquet, Sperm Count And Emerging Markets

The Financial Times featured an article entitled An insect banquet which introduced me to the previously unknown world of entomophagy (defined by Wikipedia as the consumption of insects as food). My attention was grabbed, as always, by the inclusion of a dish containing ginger. A Balinese delicacy has de-winged dragonflies boiled in coconut milk with ginger and garlic. This is what I love about ginger, its sheer versatility. If you are interested, I've managed to locate a recipe for this dragonfly stew at the World Museum in Liverpool. I think that I'll give it a miss!

Recent research in Iran has shown that consumption of ginger can significantly increase sperm count and viability. Well, in rats at least. Rats were divided equally into a control group, a group fed 50mg/kg/day and another group fed 100mg/kg/day. After 20 days it was found that those rats fed 100mg/kg/day showed signs of enhanced healthy sperm parameters and increased testosterone. It must be pointed out that the researchers have not made similar claims about human sperm.

The Indian government department responsible for promoting the export of spices (Spices Board India) has announced that ginger exports more than doubled to 10,500 tonnes during the period April 2010 to January 2011. These exports contributed to an increase in foreign exchange earnings.

Recently I was reading an article about the advertising industry where Sir Martin Sorrell of WPP was re-iterating his football analogy of world advertising markets. His 'Premier League' contains the BRICs and the 'Next Eleven' (or N-11) emerging markets. BRIC refers to Brazil, Russia, India and China. N-11 refers to Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Turkey and Vietnam. What caught my eye was that out of these 15 countries only three (Russia, Iran and Turkey) do not produce ginger. Significant? I think not but interesting nonetheless.

And finally, something I stumbled across the other day. If you like the blues and you like ginger, you'll like this from Pixar Animations.