|
For an excellent introduction and
much more information on gingers in Borneo I recommend “Gingers
of Sarawak” by Dr Axel Dalberg Poulsen. A highly informative
pocket guide, the book can be ordered through
Natural History Publications.
“Gingers of Sarawak” was my primary source of reference for this
article and I am indeed thankful to Dr Poulsen, who was kind enough
to look into my writing, for his corrections of my layman ginger
definitions in the photos.
For those who then wish to learn more about one of the
perhaps most intriguing ginger varieties in Borneo the book "Etlingera
of Borneo," by the same publisher and author is a must.
|
Amomum
kinabaluense - a species of ginger native to the area of
Mt Kinabalu |
Gingers in Borneo
I have always been fascinated by gingers, especially after so many
years here in Borneo where ginger is not simply a spice. In fact,
many more plants in the ginger family are used for other purposes
than for food, a fact that “my” tourists always greet with many
‘aah's’ and ‘ooh's’.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is the “official” ginger, known
the world over mainly as a spice for many exotic dishes, and more recently
also as a tea that has a multitude of beneficial virtues. Turmeric (Curcuma
longa) is another “ginger” though many don’t immediately
recognise it as such, and then there is galangal (Alpinia galanga),
also a ‘ginger’ and known by those who like Thai cuisine. Its sharp,
spicy taste and tang is quite unlike that of common ginger; when
pounded and fried it has a distinct 'pine' flavour. Another
ginger rhizome encountered in Borneo kitchens, albeit rarely, is
kencur (Kaempferia galanga – sometimes called ‘lily ginger’
because of its delicate flowers resembling lilies), which has a very
distinctive flowery taste – again totally different from your
‘normal’ ginger.
|
Kencur
(Kaempferia galanga), from the Donggongon Tamu |
The part usually used in the above gingers – ginger, turmeric,
galangal and kencur – is the underground stem, also called rhizome;
however, the leaves of turmeric and kencur are equally frequently
used in local preparations, even as salads: they add interesting
exotic notes to meat and seafood dishes, but in taste and aroma they
have nothing in common with ordinary ginger!
Other plants in the ginger family yield different edible parts, the
torch ginger (Etlingera elatior) being probably the most
widely known. The flowering bud of this striking ginger, which grows
in the wild and up to five meters tall, has a very distinctive,
rather strong fragrance and a slight tang, not always immediately
appreciated by western palates. While the buds grow into spectacular flowers – the torch ginger is a
popular landscaping
element – for culinary purposes normally only the young and still
tightly folded buds are used. This ginger, which is called tompu
in Sabah gives spice and colour to
a number of curries, fish soups, stir-fried vegetables and even
salads. It can be bought on local markets and
tamu
all over Borneo. The fruit of torch ginger, extremely sour, is also
very much appreciated, either as a snack with a bit of salt,
dissolved in water as a refreshing drink or even for making ‘hinava’,
a fresh fish pickle in which the lime juice normally used is replaced
by the torch ginger fruit. Then there is tuhau (Etlingera
coccinea), a ginger of which the stem is used. The stalk -
botanists will tell us that it is actually the leafy shoot - is
peeled, and the soft, pinkish inner part is pounded and conserved in
vinegar, sometimes with chillies. Tuhau is definitively something of
an acquired taste. It is sharp, even fresh somewhat sourish, and
quite a statement in taste. Here in Sabah it is sold on markets,
usually in small plastic containers, and hugely appreciated by
everybody. It is eaten as a relish with rice, together with other
dishes. Its characteristic aroma is unmistakable once you have tried
it, but be warned, you might find it a bit overpowering. Children
also like to suckle the nectar out of the flowers of tuhau. Its
inflorescence appears at ground level with several long, red flowers
bordered by yellow.
|
Torch Ginger (Etlingera
elatior) in full bloom |
Etlingera
elatior fruit (Kg Longkogungan, Sabah) |
|
The above fruit
used for making hinava (Kg Pongobonon, Sabah) |
These are now just six plants in the ginger family which are used in
the kitchen for their aroma and edible parts here in Sabah, and
there are a couple of more you might be familiar with: cardamom
(Elettaria cardamomum) and zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria),
as well as Guinea pepper or grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta). However,
the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) counts more than 1200
species! Most of them grow in tropical forests, and Borneo harbours
over 200 species, many of which find other uses in the daily life of
the locals. Thus, when travelling through Sarawak the keen observer
will find that pepper, and also rice grains are dried on mats made
from the stems of particularly tall gingers, such as those of the
genus Etlingera. The leaves are removed from the stem, which
is then split and dried, and through a series of manipulations
varying from one area to another one obtains tough, up to three
meter long bands to create anything from coarse ‘working mats’ to
fine baskets and trays. Curiously, in Sabah there are no ‘ginger
mats’, but the large leaves of Etlingera were used for temporary
roofs – such as the roofs of huts in the rice fields which were only
used for one year. Other gingers yield wide leaves ideal for
wrapping rice, or tough fibres used to tie up game after a hunt, and
some have such sturdy stalks that they can be used as walking
sticks, but only for a day. Disposable walking sticks, so to speak!
|
Pepper and padi
(rice grain) on ginger mats for drying
Rh Kesit, Sg
Lemanak, Sarawak |
Then there is of course a whole pharmacy out there amongst the
gingers. Already ‘normal’ ginger boasts a host of medical properties
and commercial ginger tea is widely available. However, it is never
as good as when prepared with fresh ginger, and the simplest way to
make ginger tea is to take a couple of slices of fresh ginger over
which you pour hot water. Honey goes very well with ginger and makes
its sharp, peculiar aroma in teas, and other preparations mellower.
Alternatively you can brew up a coup of Ceylon tea and add a slice
of ginger, or you can even put it in your coffee. Here in Borneo
people will tell you that ginger tea is good for ‘removing heat from
the body’ (see
Traditional
Medicine Part 1), and expelling wind. In other words, if
you drink ginger tea don’t be astonished if you have to pass lots of
wind… More beneficial properties of ginger – some proven
scientifically, others right from the realm of popular folk medicine
– are: treatment of infections, reduce pain from headaches,
prevention of the flu and cold, relieve for a sore throat,
prevention of motion and morning sickness, treatment of indigestion,
soothing of toothaches and much more. Z officinale is
also prescribed as an aphrodisiac, that is it makes men horny… Other
gingers found in Borneo, like some in the genus Globba,
find their application in tinctures and ointments for the relief of
muscle and joint pains; and gingers figure even amongst the mystical
ingredients that are needed to ward off evil spirits!
|
Huge leaves of
an Etlingera sp at Niah, Sarawak |
Etlingera
fimbriobracteata flower and leafy shoot (Niah, Swk) |
A sought-after ginger here is jerangau merah (Boesenbergia
stenophylla), a ginger that works as an antidote in case of
food poisonings and stomach disorders, and helps cure hangovers. In Sabah
this ginger is called Komburuongoh Sarawak – because it virtually
only grows in Sarawak nowadays and even there it is rare and confined to
the cool ridges of the interior of the state. Hedychium
muluense – described in 1977 from Mulu – is used in Sabah in
case of scorpion stings and snake bites, and many of the Etlingera
varieties are used for a wide range of illnesses, infections and
other aliments.
Amomum roseisquamosum is a rare ginger growing epiphytically
in trees – it is a ginger that was only recently discovered and
described so far from only one location in Sarawak: Lambir Hills
National Park, near Miri. With over 200 species of gingers in about 20 genera
in Borneo, and vast tracks of rainforest not yet inventoried, future
new discoveries are inevitable. A roseisquamosum is just one
good example from Borneo, where endemism is high and one can find plants,
even animals that are sometimes restricted to one small area of the
entire island. This shows the urge to push for more protection of
the rainforest and its incredible flora & fauna for future
generations.
|
Orchid-like
flower of an Alpinia sp
Kinabalu National Park |
|
Gingers – general information
Without wanting to go into deeper details and botanical
jargon, here some general information: gingers are
herbaceous plants even though some species can reach a
height
of 8 m. They all have a rhizome in common, which is
typically an underground stem that produces leaves and roots
though in some gingers the rhizome grows along the ground,
and some others seem to stand on stilts (eg Hornstedtia
reticulate). Typically the leaves are arranged
distichously – that is in two opposite rows in one plane and
the inflorescence is a cluster of specialised leaves
supporting one or more highly specialised flowers that
sometimes resemble orchids – and are indeed often mistaken
for orchids, especially the larger and more spectacular
ginger flowers such as Alpinia hansenii or
Hedychium cylindricum. Flowers can be found on or at the
tip of the leafy shoot like in many Alpinia and
Globba species, or on the ground where they spring
directly from the rhizome on leafless shoots (such as many
Etlingera sp). In this case the flowers can be far
from the leaves. Others have a long flower stem, such as the
torch ginger (Etlingera elatior). Because of their
sometimes spectacular and brilliantly coloured flowers many
gingers are now grown as ornamental plants in tropical
gardens; even the cut flower industry uses flowers and
various other parts of gingers in floral arrangements: the
popular strelitzia and heliconia – birds of
paradise flowers etc – are related to gingers too, belonging
to the order of Zingiberales!
The fruits of gingers are often fleshy and sometimes open by
three slits (eg Hedychium cylindricum) to reveal
brightly coloured seeds. Actually, the seeds are black (or
brown), but they are covered in fruit flesh (the aril), an arrangement
to attract birds and other animals who eat the fruit and
thus distribute the seeds.
|
Not the
flowers, but the open fruit pods of a Hedychium
sp
Kinabalu National Park |
Several ginger species are used in the food industry as
spices and condiments, and some species are used in
medicine.
Gingers also play an important role in rainforest ecology –
not only as food source for many animals – but also as
pioneer plants. After landslides, moderate forest fires and
in abandoned hill-rice fields gingers can be seen amongst
the very first plants that occupy those open sites.
Despite their importance in the flower and food industry, in
rainforest ecology and their many uses the knowledge of
their basic taxonomy, their distribution and conservation
status is still incomplete.
|
|
Ginger – Zingiber officinale
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a
spice which is used for cooking and is also consumed whole
as a delicacy or medicine. It is the underground stem of the
ginger plant, Zingiber officinale.
The ginger plant has a long history of
cultivation, having originated in Asia and is grown in
India, Southeast Asia, West Africa and the Caribbean.
Chemistry
The characteristic odour and flavour of
ginger root is caused by a mixture of zingerone, shogaols
and gingerols, volatile oils that compose about one to three
percent of the weight of fresh ginger. In laboratory
animals, the gingerols increase the motility of the
gastrointestinal tract and have analgesic, sedative,
antipyretic and antibacterial properties.
Ginger contains up to three percent of a
fragrant essential oil whose main constituents are
sesquiterpenoids, with (-)-zingiberene as the main
component. Smaller amounts of other sesquiterpenoids (β-sesquiphellandrene,
bisabolene and farnesene) and a small monoterpenoid fraction
(β-phelladrene, cineol, and citral) have also been
identified.
The pungent taste of ginger is due to
non-volatile phenylpropanoid-derived compounds, particularly
gingerols and shogaols, which form from gingerols when
ginger is dried or cooked. Zingerone is also produced from
gingerols during this process; this compound is less pungent
and has a spicy-sweet aroma. Ginger is also a minor chemical
irritant, and because of this was used as a horse
suppository by pre-World War I mounted regiments for
feaguing.
Ginger has a sialagogue action,
stimulating the production of saliva, which makes swallowing
easier.
Culinary uses
Young ginger rhizomes are juicy and
fleshy with a very mild taste. They are often pickled in
vinegar or sherry as a snack or just cooked as an ingredient
in many dishes. They can also be stewed in boiling water to
make ginger tea, to which honey is often added as a
sweetener; sliced orange or lemon fruit may also be added.
Mature ginger roots are fibrous and nearly dry. The juice
from old ginger roots is extremely potent and is often used
as a spice in Indian recipes and Chinese cuisine to flavour
dishes such as seafood or mutton and vegetarian recipes.
Powdered dry ginger root (ginger powder) is typically used
to spice gingerbread and other recipes. Fresh ginger can be
substituted for ground ginger at a ratio of 6 parts fresh
for 1 part ground, although the flavours of fresh and dried
ginger are not exactly interchangeable.
Ginger is also made into candy, is used
as a flavouring for cookies, crackers and cake, and is the
main flavour in ginger ale—a sweet, carbonated, non-alcoholic
beverage, as well as the similar, but spicier ginger beer
which is popular in the Caribbean.
Fresh ginger should be peeled before
eaten. For storage, the ginger should be wrapped tightly in
a towel and placed in a plastic bag, and can be kept for
about three weeks in a refrigerator and up to three months
in a freezer.
Ginger root, raw - Nutritional value per
100 g (3.5 oz)
|
Energy |
20
kcal |
|
|
Carbohydrates |
17.77g |
|
|
- Sugars |
1.7 g
|
|
|
- Dietary fibre |
2 g |
|
|
Fat |
0.75 g |
|
|
Protein |
1.82 g |
|
|
Thiamine (Vit. B1) |
0.025
mg |
2% |
|
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) |
0.034
mg |
2% |
|
Niacin (Vit. B3) |
0.75
mg |
5% |
|
Pantothenic acid (B5) |
0.203
mg |
4% |
|
Vitamin B6 |
0.16
mg |
12% |
|
Folate (Vit. B9) |
11 μg |
3% |
|
Vitamin C |
5 mg |
8% |
|
Calcium |
16 mg |
2% |
|
Iron |
0.6
mg |
5% |
|
Magnesium |
43
mg |
12% |
|
Phosphorus |
34 mg |
5% |
|
Potassium |
415
mg |
9% |
|
Zinc |
0.34
mg |
3% |
Percentages are relative to US
recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient database |
References:
- Gingers of Sarawak, a
pocket guide; Dr Axel Dalberg Poulsen,
Natural History
Publications (Borneo), 2006
- Tropical Herbs & Spices
of Malaysia & Singapore; Wendy Hutton, Periplus Editions
1998
-
Wikipedia (Z officinale)
- Various personal
interviews with Dusun, Murut and Iban of Sabah and
Sarawak
|
Further Reading:
|
Special
Thanks to Dr Axel Dalberg Poulsen who has kindly taken the
time to correct my ginger definitions in the photos in this
article. |
|
