Botany
Erect, smooth plant with thickened and aromatic rootstocks. Leafy stems are 0.4 to 1 meter high. Leaves are distichous, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 15-25 cm long, and 2 cm wide or less. Scape from rootstock is erect, 15-25 cm high, covered with imbricate bracts. Calyx is 1 cm long. Corolla is greenish-yellow with a tube less than 2 cm long.

Distribution
Widely cultivated in the Philippines

Parts utilized
Tops, leaves and edible roots.

Constituents and properties
Pungent principles, mainly zingerone and shogaol, provides the characteristic taste.
Volatile oil, 1.23 to 3% - gingerol, zingerone, zingiberene, cineol, borneol, phellandrene, citral, zingiberene, linalool, geraniol, chavicol, vanillyl alcohol, camphene; resin.

Uses
Nutritional
Flavoring for ginger ale, ginger beer, and other beverages.
Salabat, a native beverage, is prepared from the rhizomes.
A prominent condiment in Filipino cuisine.
Taken with rocksalt before meals is cleansing to the tongue and throat and increases the appetite.
Folkloric
Antiseptic: Prepare tincture of dried rhizome with 70% alcohol (not rubbing alchol) and apply on superficial cuts and wounds or use juice from fresh rhizome.
As digestive aid and for flatulence and tympanism: Take decoction of the rhizome as tea.
Rheumatism: Pound roasted rhizome, mix with oil and apply locally.
Sore throat and hoarseness : Take warm decoction of the rhizome as ginger tea (salabat) or chew a small piece of rhizome.
Cough remedy and carminative.
Diuretic.
Hangovers.
Headaches: Ginger plaster (bruised ginger in water to the consistency of poultice) applied to the forehead. Same preparation may be helpful for toothaches and facial pain.

Preparations
Ginger tea
Ginger tea preparation, the Chinese way : Bring one cup of water to boil. Add one teaspoon of the roasted (parched and browned) rice and a small piece of ginger root. Boil for one minute. Let stand to cool for drinking. (Preparation of dried rice: Pour enough water to cover 1/2 cup white rice in a flat dish; and let stand overnight. In the morning, drain off the excess water. Roast the rice in a dry pan, stirring constantly until parched and brown. Store in a glass jar for future use, tightly covered to keep moisture out.)
Ginger lozenges
• Wash and peel the ginger, then mince.
• Spread and air-dry for a day or oven-dry at 250 C.
• Grind and strain the dried ginger.
* In a mortar, mix 1 cup ground giner and 1 cup confectioner's sugar.
• Pound and mix while gradually adding water until a pulp is formed.
• Level the pulp on a board lined with wax paper.
• Using a mold, make balls from the pulp and wrap each lozenge in aluminum foil.
How to make medicated candies from powdered rhizomes
Materialls, proportion and procedure
Go to Traditional and Modern Medicine
http://traditionalmed.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-to-prepare-ginger-lozenges.html

New uses
May have antiemetic properties. Used for Nausea, motion sickenss (1 gm taken 1/2 hour before the voyage). Stimulates digestion. Possibly antiinflammatory.
Side effects
No known side effects or drug interactions. The German Commission E recommends that it be avoided during pregnancy due to possible inhibition of testosterone binding in the fetus. The use in pregnancy for hyperemesis gravidarum is controversial. Use for nausea during pregnancy is not recommended. Should not be used by pregnant women with a history of bleeding disorders and miscarriages.
Anticogulang precaution
Decreased platelet adhesiveness; therefore, should be used with caution by patients on anticoagulant therapy.

Availability
Wild-crafted.
Popular condiment and perennial market produce.
Candied ginger and lozenges.
Tablets and capsules.
Dried powdered gingeroot.