Husband Creches, Ginger Fraud, Giant Snails & Low Calorie Ginger Beer

Crabbie’s, famous for its ginger beers, is opening “man sheds” or "husband crèches" in a number of UK shopping centres for men to relax, drink ginger beer and play with gadgets during the Christmas shopping rush. The idea is that wives and girlfriends will leave their partner at a shed, spend some time shopping unhindered and unencumbered, and then collect him when it is time to go home. What an excellent idea. Clever people, these Crabbie's folk. (Source: Talking Retail).

The BBC carried an unusual story regarding a company who imported what it claimed was ginger into the UK but actually turned out to be garlic. The company informed HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) that it was importing thousands of kilos of ginger. But when the UK Border Agency checked a particular consignment it found 7,000 kilos of garlic. HMRC later checked previous shipping records and found that the company's importation of garlic had stopped. Over the same period the company's importation of ginger had increased five-fold. So why did the company pass off garlic as ginger? If you import garlic into the EU you have to pay an import duty imposed to protect EU garlic growers. Ginger does not incur any duty. The owner of the company, who has since disappeared, has now been found guilty in his absence of avoiding £2m in import duty.

FoodManufacture.co.uk carried a feature on the increasing competition and developments in the UK brewing sector. Recent research from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has shown that there are now 1,009 breweries plying their trade in the UK. Much of the output from these breweries, many of them microbreweries, is aimed at the growing number of 18-24 year olds who are interested in trying flavoured beers. And a popular variety in this flavoured beer range is ginger-spiced real ale.

Concern is growing amongst farmers in Antigua who are losing their ginger and other crops to an invasion of Giant African snails, according to the Antigua Observer. Unfortunately there isn't an effective means of control or eradication so we will have to wait and see. Hopefully this isn't the end of the story.

I don't know much about ginger on Antigua but I do know that it was introduced to the island by the settlers and that the Antigua Brewery produces a ginger ale.

Good news for Fever-Tree, the British premium mixer drinks brand. It has won a listing with Tesco for its Naturally Light Ginger Beer. The low calorie drink contains 60 calories per serving and is made with the same ingredients as Fever-Tree's signature Ginger Beer with the exception of the sweetener where natural fruit juice is used instead of cane sugar. (Source: The Grocer).

The inhabitants of Kazakhstan drink about 3 billion litres of tea a year. This puts the country in the top five tea-consuming countries in the world. Much of this tea is black tea and much of this black tea is consumed with something added such blueberries or cranberries or, you've guessed it, ginger. (Source: Kazakh TV)

The Himalayan reports that in the last fiscal year Nepal exported Rs74.26 billion worth of products and that in the current fiscal year the target is Rs100 billion. Although ginger contributed a mere Rs280 million last year, for a lot of small farmers and their families it is the only source of income. Is a Rs1 billion target achievable as has been mooted? I sincerely hope so.

Ginger Recall, Codex, New Releases & Zero Waste

A YouGov poll for Very Lazy, the British cooking ingredients specialist, has found that nearly a quarter of men (24%) couldn't identify root ginger from this picture. I don't know whether to be surprised or not. I suppose I should be; then again I am biased. The corresponding figure for women is nearly one in ten (11%). So why do men find it more difficult? Discuss.

Sometimes we come across a ginger product recall but, thankfully, not too often. But last week we noted that Coop Denmark is recalling fresh ginger over fears that pesticide levels of HCH could be above permitted limits. Coop Denmark is Denmark's leading retailer operating six retail chains and subsidiaries. The Danes do like their ginger so there could be a lot of ginger being returned.

The ginger being recalled in Denmark originated in China where the government is attempting to reduce farmers use of pesticides. According to China Daily in 2007, farmers were applying 1.45 million tons of pesticides a year on a range of crops. This was almost twice the amount necessary. Regulated HCH use is still allowed in China but I have read that it has been banned in Nigeria, another major ginger producing country.

The Himalayan Times reported that Nepal is to raise the quality of ginger destined for export to meet the international Codex standard. Most of Nepal's ginger exports have normally gone to neighbouring India but this valuable avenue has now all but closed. By improving the standard of ginger, Nepal hopes to meet the import requirements of replacement countries. This change follows the recent announcement of the formation of a national ginger association to represent all interested parties.

If you are interested in the Codex standard for ginger (Codex Stan 218-1999) you can read it here. It covers everything you could possibly want to know regarding the export of ginger covering quality, sizing, tolerances, presentation and labelling.

Malaysia's Daily Express reported that the state government of Sabah, the second largest state in Malaysia, is planning to make it the largest producer of ginger in the country. The report did not mention how the government is going to achieve this but I did find news from over two years ago in Fresh Plaza which stated that ginger farmers in Sabah asked for government assistance to modernise the production process. It also stated that Sabah had to import ginger from China in order to meet domestic demand. So becoming the largest producer should mean that Sabah becomes a net exporter.

We have a number of new ginger products to report this week. We'll start with CaryTown Teas from Richmond, Virginia. This North American Tea Champion runner-up in 2010 has launched a ginger & turmeric herbal tea. The tea also contains liquorice root, orange peel and lemongrass.

Wheat beers are becoming, or have become, very popular in the USA. I've reported on a number of occasions about the increasing number of ginger wheat beers. Well, another one can be added to the list. Texas-based Faust Brewing Company has launched Holy Whit!, a summer seasonal wheat beer made with ginger & honey. I really must find one to try.

Another drink which is starting to take off both here in the UK and in the USA is ginger cider. Vermont-based Woodchuck Cidery has launched Private Reserve Ginger cider, according to Beerpulse.com. It contains organic yellow ginger from Hawaii's Big Island.

Interestingly, Hawaii is one of the few places in the world to grow organic ginger. According to Biker Dude of Puna Organics, yellow ginger comes from Japan but once grown on Hawaiian soil it ceases to be Japanese Yellow Ginger and becomes Hawaiian Yellow Ginger.

An unusual workshop took place recently in the Philippines. The Magsasaka Siyentista from WESVARRDEC (Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium) demonstrated to farmers a method of processing ginger with the aim of generating zero waste. This seems to be achieved by finding a use for the by-products. For example, ginger pulp, a by-product of producing ginger powder and previously just thrown away, can now be used in pastillae and jam. By the way, a Magsasaka Siyentista is a farmer scientist.

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.

Captain Scott, Indian Christmas Beer, Skills Shortage & Ginger Tea

Well, by now everyone must have welcomed in the New Year. I hope that all you have wished and worked for comes to fruition. I'm certainly looking forward with excitement to the coming year. Why? I'll let you know in due course.

The Telegraph revealed the Christmas menu enjoyed by Captain Scott and his team during their doomed 1911-12 attempt to be the first people to reach the South Pole. Although thwarted in their bid by Roald Amundsen, on Christmas Eve 1911 the confident team tucked into horsemeat flavoured with onion and curry powder. This was followed by an arrowroot, cocoa and biscuit hoosh (a thick stew); plum pudding; cocoa with raisins, and finished off with a dessert of caramel and ginger. If you live within easy reach of London, you may be interested in an exhibition commemorating the centenary of the polar explorers attempt which opens at the Natural History Museum on January 20th.

Occasionally I've mentioned about new ginger-spiced beers which seem to be very popular these days, particularly in the UK and USA. So I was pleased to read on livemint.com about an Indian beer brewed with the spices traditionally associated with a Christmas cake. The Biere Club, Bangalore's first craft brewery, has created a Christmas brew, with ginger amongst the ingredients, for the festive season only or until the limited run of 2,000 litres has been sold.

The other day I came across a beer called Old Danish Braggot. This has been brewed with honey and ginger from a recipe dating back to 1700 by the Dansk Mjød A/S brewery in Billund, Denmark. Incidentally, Billund is the home of Lego and well worth a visit. I've since discovered that a braggot is a type of beer made, according to Beer Advocate, by "blending spices and herbs with mead and beer to produce a strong concoction with uncommon flavours". Now there's an excuse to take the family to Legoland.

I'm not a science fiction fan so I apologise if I've discovered something which you already know. Today I read about a collection of books (which I've never read) by the American writer Harry Turtledove (who I've never heard of) which feature aliens, known as The Race, who invade Earth during the Second World War. Apparently, these aliens find ginger so addictive that it has the same effect on them as cocaine does on humans. Can anyone tell me whether ginger features heavily in the stories?

You may remember a couple of recent posts in which I referred to the Indian state of Orissa. Well, on the 1st November 2011 it changed its name to Odisha. I mention this because the following story from Orissadiary.com refers to the new name. Odisha is an important producer of ginger and there is a possibility that the state may run out of ginger farmers. A study by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), an Indian Ministry of Finance quango, has identified a shortage of 2,600,000 skilled workers by 2026 in Odisha alone. The aim of the NSDC is to provide the appropriate training to enable people to either gain employment or become self-employed. One particular area in need of assistance is ginger processing industry and the recently discovered financial benefits of adding value.

I'm sure that I read the other day about another ginger-producing country, Malaysia I believe, and the difficulties it is already facing with a shortage of English-speaking workers. What I did definitely read about Malaysia was an academic study into the chemical variations of three locally grown ginger cultivars. A team from the International Islamic University in Pahang wanted to know whether the previously detected chemical variations could be attributed to genetic factors rather than environmental or intrinsic factors. A metabolic fingerprinting exercise using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry revealed that the variations were due to genetic effects.

The Kerala state government in India has declared Wayanad an agri crisis area following the recent spate of farmer suicides. This news, briefly reported in IBNLive, also stated that farmers were expected to get assistance and relief.

BBC America carried a personal view of the drinking habits of British people, A New Year’s Guide to British Booze. If you navigate to page five of this ten page gallery you will see an entry for alcoholic ginger beer. I can confirm that alcoholic ginger beers are a big hit here in the UK and I'm sure that there will be more to come this year. And this is in addition to the renaissance in ginger-spiced real ales.

GantDaily.com, from central Pennsylvania, reported the interesting story about the effects of rising sea levels and the consequent saltwater intrusion in Vietnam's fertile Mekong Delta. This has necessitated a major rethink regarding the crops that are grown and simple farming fixes. Oxfam has piloted a small project to help farmers with hardier varieties of watermelons and introduce simple methods to save fresh water. Oxfam has now started a similar project with ginger. I must contact Oxfam for progress on this particular project.

Something that has become quite widespread but which I first picked up on China Daily was the story that Simon Cowell attributes his 'youthful looks' (not my words) to drinking ginger tea all day and a few other things. I can't be bothered to write anymore about this except to say that I'm going to start drinking ginger tea on a regular basis. Just a coincidence, I'm sure!

Ginger Tea Sponsors Volleyball, Agricultural Downsizing, Missed Export Deal & Ginger Coffee

I was browsing through some Google Hong Kong search results last week (I don't know why as I can't read Chinese) and came across a character called "Ginger the Big" (see right). Apparently, this little fellow is the key brand for Shandong Manhing Food Company who were selected as the exclusive ginger supplier at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I really must come up with a little character of my own.

Still on a sporting theme, I discovered that GingerLove, a rather nice ginger tea from Belgium, will sponsor the female Belgian beach volleyball team as they prepare for next year's Olympics. Incidentally, you can read our review of GingerLove on the All Things Ginger website.

Manila Standard Today reported on a Philippines government scheme to encourage farmers in the Highlands to switch from illegally growing marijuana to making an honest living from other crops. Farmers in the towns of Kapangan and Kibungan have chosen to grow ginger on a large scale whilst farmers elsewhere have opted for a range of activities from cattle and pig farming to silkworms.

I came across an unusual use for ginger the other day when I read on nebusiness.co.uk about the recent launch of a ginger muscle rub. Natural Hero, a UK start-up in the north east of England, has developed a couple of herbal rubefacient products including one called Hot Ginger Muscle Rub. The company has worked with experts in medicinal plant research and molecular dermatology at Newcastle University to develop the products which contain 98pc natural ingredients. Although these products have been commercially available for a couple of months, they are still being tested by a range of athletes including runners, cyclists and surfers. I gather the ginger rub does not have much of a smell which, for me, is a big plus point.

The Jamaica Observer reported that the Jamaican Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will be reviewing the number of crops which the country grows commercially. The idea behind this exercise is that the country should be concentrating on those crops which have a competitive and comparative advantage. The minister, Robert Montague, says that the ministry should "put all our resources behind them and, therefore, maximise the earnings from them". It is planned that the current level of 64 crops will be reduced to 20 core crops, one of which will be ginger. This appears to be a case of a government adopting a business practice which has become common in recent years - downsizing and concentrating on core products and values.

Having just said that Jamaica will be putting more resources into ginger, the government must be livid that the ginger industry has just failed to win a J$500 million (US$6m) contract to supply ginger to US-based Reed's Inc, one of the largest naturally brewed ginger soft drinks manufacturers in North America. The Gleaner reported that Chris Reed, the founder and CEO of Reed's, had been unable to find a reliable supplier and also had issues obtaining an export licence. Reed's will now import 1.5 million pounds of ginger a year from South America (which I assume means Brazil). The Jamaican government believes that the country has the potential to supply 170 tons of ginger but is only exporting a mere 15 tons. The Reed's contract could have increased the export market from 170 to 820 tons, a figure which will surely give both the government and the industry itself food for thought.

The Hindu reported that police in the Indian state of Kerala are hoping to reduce night-time accidents by offering drivers ginger coffee. Certain points on the State Highway are known accident black-spots with nearly 300 people killed so far this year. The police are concentrating their resources (and ginger coffee) at these locations, particularly during the Sabarimala season. (Sabarimala is a Hindu pilgrimage centre in Kerala which attracts 45-50 million followers a year).

I knew Crabbie's wouldn't be out of the news for long. Last week Halewood International, who own the alcoholic ginger beer, reported a massive rise in pre-tax profits from £8.8m to £15.8m. Oh, I'm sure that I saw Crabbie's on sale at Tesco yesterday at 3 for £5.

Congratulations to the pupils of Pathways to Technology Magnet High School in Windsor, Connecticut who have just won the Innovative Beverage category in the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship World Series of Innovation competition. They created GinTropic, described by Hartford Business Journal as "a caffeine-free, tropical fruit juice-infused line of ginger ale soft drinks aimed specifically at improving brand recognition and sales of Seagram’s ginger ale by Coca-Cola". The category was sponsored by Coca-Cola.

Burmese Ginger, Trade Mission, Licensed Products & Wild Boar

This year's Burmese ginger crop is proving so popular with international buyers that traders are struggling to meet demand. The conditions which led to a poor harvest last December have created a spiciness and fragrance which is attracting the attention of Indian and German buyers. Ginger (known locally as gyin) is not a major export commodity in Burma and demand is typically irregular. The traditional export markets are Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore and China.

Last month a trade mission from the Dominican Republic visited France to promote the export of a range of agricultural products including ginger. The mission was important for the Dominicans as agriculture is second in their list of export earning sectors behind mining. Like many other countries in the Caribbean, ginger has been grown for quite a few years. Until the export market was created, ginger was produced for domestic consumption. The locals even have a special Christmas drink made with ginger and cinnamon.

In the UK, the 1st of May saw the introduction of the EU Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD). This directive requires that herbal products can only be sold if they have been registered and licensed by an appropriate agency. This is causing distress to many Indian and Chinese manufacturers as registration can cost in excess of £40,000 for each individual product. But it appears that makers of many herbal products (including ginger) can avoid the cost of registration if the products are labelled and sold as food supplements without any medicinal benefit claims.

Last month we mentioned the story of the elephant attacks on Indian ginger farms. Last week The Telegraph in Calcutta reported that farmers in Darjeeling, cultivating a range of crops including ginger, have been suffering from attacks by wild boar. These wild boar are destroying whole crops by searching for tubers with their snouts. They have also be known to attack and kill humans. Wild boar are distributed widely and live in large family groups. The fact that they breed rapidly means that once in your area they can be difficult to remove. So the farmers response has been to set aside land for a crop which the wild boar will not touch. And this crop is, unsurprisingly, tea. Darjeeling, famous the world over for its black tea, still has room for more growers. This extra tea, certified as organic, will be sold to a local tea garden.

I've just been reading a short report from two years ago by Dr Y C Zala of Anand Agricultural University in India. The report, Ginger cultivation: Capital intensive but profitable, contains a number of interesting statistics but what I found of most interest were the productivity figures. Two years ago the world's average for ginger production was 2,546 kg/ha. India was higher at 3,417 kg/ha but the USA (I think that means Hawaii really) came top with an incredible 51,925 kg/ha. It's just as well that US acreage is small-scale, relatively speaking.

Consumer Testing, Convict Transportation, Health Claims and Germplasm

When you buy fresh produce it is not unusual to visually inspect, feel and smell the items before purchasing. What you are doing is using your senses or, to use the scientific term, testing organoleptically. Researchers from McGill University in Canada wanted to find a way of drying ginger for a longer shelf life whilst retaining an acceptable surface colour and aroma. They concluded that the most energy efficient way to dry ginger was to microwave at 60 degrees C and this had the additional benefit of minimal aroma loss.

On the 6th December 1738, James Winstanly went on trial at the Old Bailey charged with stealing 15lb of white ginger (peeled and dried Jamaica ginger) from the home of Joseph Broad. He was found guilty of Theft From A Specified Place and sentenced to transportation. Until 1776 transportation was to America so it is quite likely that Winstanly was sent to either Maryland or Virginia.

In late April the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a letter warning Diaspora Tea & Herb Company that the way that their Rishi Tea was being advertised on the company website implied that the teas had medicinal properties. For a product to have medical benefits it must be classed as a drug and be licensed by the FDA. The FDA ruling covered a number of teas including organic botanical ginger. The website stated that "[G]inger is used in food and drinks as a preventive medicine against colds [and] flus.” The FDA response was "The therapeutic claims on your website establish that these products are drugs because they are intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease." The ruling also stated that Diaspora Tea & Herb must review its website and make the necessary changes. The All Things Ginger website takes great care to ensure that no unauthorised claims are made to the medicinal efficacy of consuming ginger.

Frequently when researching ginger I come across the word germplasm. As it's not a word I use in everyday conversation and didn't know what it meant anyway, I decided to satisfy my curiosity. According to Wikipedia "A germplasm is a collection of genetic resources for an organism. For plants, the germplasm may be stored as a seed collection or, for trees, in a nursery." So for ginger we must be talking about rhizomes and tissue samples. Did you know that one of the world's largest collections of ginger germplasm is held at the Germplasm Conservatory of the Indian Institute of Spices Research. If you want to get into ginger farming, this is the place to go.

Ginger Coffee, 18th Century Ginger Tea And Hydroponically-Grown Ginger

Last week Nestle reported increased global sales with the emerging markets being the most profitable regions. Emerging markets are classed as those economies undergoing rapid growth and industrialisation. One area the results highlighted was adapting existing products to suit local tastes, such as adding ginger and honey to Nescafe coffee in sub-Saharan countries. Ginger coffee has been common in the Middle East for many years with Qishr from Yemen being very popular. But ginger coffee in the West? I'm not aware of any products but if Nestle would like to send me a sample I would gladly conduct a survey, albeit small, on the UK public.

There were many reports last week in the US media about a University of Maryland archaeological dig at the 1785 Wye Orangery, the only 18th century greenhouse left in North America. What took my eye in particular was the evidence that the African American slaves, who played a major role in the construction and operation of the greenhouse, experimented with ginger root to make tea. It is believed that ginger was being grown in West Africa and the Caribbean by the 15th century so making ginger tea would have been a skill possessed by many slaves by the time of the Wye Orangery.

Two years ago the Jamaican government launched a project which involved growing ginger hydroponically in perlite in greenhouses. This has proved so successful that the project has now been conferred with research centre status. The project was started after farmers suffered poor harvests through lack of crop rotation. Coincidentally, scientists at the University of Arizona in Tuscon have also been experimenting with growing ginger and found that the hydroponic system with perlite produced the best results.

I made a mistake in the Latest News section on www.allthingsginger.co.uk when I stated on 18-Feb-2011 that Ajegroup, the Peruvian drinks company, had developed a ginger ale which would be the ideal ingredient in the popular cocktail Chilcano de Pisco. I should have written that development is still ongoing. I'll let you know when it is ready.

Much needed rains have arrived in southern India whilst dry conditions with temperatures reaching 40C are still affecting the north of the country. Unfortunately the rains weren't welcomed by everyone. Four women were injured when they were struck by lightning whilst harvesting ginger.