Ginger is a special kind of rhizome, with a distinctive pungent flavor and tangy aroma. Ginger is made up of a group of semi-rounded orangish brown branches joined to a knobby-like rhizome.

It is used in a whole host of common dishes, and it particularly valued in seafood dishes, where the fingers are peeled and sliced into fine slivers and tossed along with other herbs into spicy curries, sauces and soups. Young ginger is tenderer, lighter in color and often still has some of its green stem attached. It is often used in the pickled form and eaten with dishes such as sushi, vegetables and with rice. As this form of ginger has not yet reached maturity, the flavors are milder and less spicy in comparison to old ginger. In traditional medicine, old ginger is used as a powerful digestive stimulate and immune-enhancing tonic, and is also used to treat dysentery, urinary issues, dizziness and inflammation.