Ginger Untold

It may not look like much. But looks can be deceiving.

I can hardly remember ‘before’. In the gray mist of my memory, a colleague of mine suggested that it would be a brilliant idea to add a few slices of freshly cut ginger root to a glass of water. He had seen it on some kind of cooking show where one of the expert chefs on duty suggested it as both refreshing and healthy.

Oh yes, and once a friend of mine played a rather nasty little ginger joke on me. That day he ordered two small glasses in a pub on our way to the clubs (I was much younger then). While encouraging me to drink up, he waited to empty his own glass and then broke into a big smile when I choked and coughed. His grin widened even more as I gulped down the water he had also ordered, adding sheepishly: “…oh, and I forgot, you should not drink water right after, it makes it worse, but rather eat some bread” and pointed to the little baskets that were spread all over the counter and tables (yes, I mean you …. I still have not forgotten! ;-)).

So, yes, ginger is spicy, it’s refreshing and it’s healthy. But it is so much more.

Like, at some point I realized that a lot of tiny, unfriendly plant munchers (including woodworms) hate ginger. I discovered this when I was restoring the old built-in cabinet in our Berlin apartment. I had treated the doors with some environmentally friendly balm, but the little buggers were not really ready to leave the nice old chewy oak doors. So I got really mad and – remembering something my mother once said about using coffee to repel worms from cabbage – brewed some strong coffee. By that time, we had ginger around the house all the time, because it really does make a remarkable drink (cold in water and hot as tea) and adds nice spicy notes. I also remembered the ginger shot pun and added a little extra ginger. And I let the mixture sit overnight.

The worms came out right away. And I think I saw one puke. They were not dead (yet), but obviously very annoyed.

After that, I tested the ginger on black flies that had invaded some of my herb pots on the windowsill in the kitchen. I just put ginger toes into the herb pot and the flies were reduced in number and/or avoided it completely.

Then I did the same thing on the balcony. Same effect. Only this time the roots started to grow long leaves and (…drum roll…) spectacular ‘green ginger’ (the immediate part where the plant regrows from the root ganglion). Both the leaves and the ‘green ginger’ make excellent spices for a delicious broth (fresh and dried). And you know by now how much I treasure a good broth, so this was a real find.

Last but not least, I realized that aphids and other ‘suckers’ on our balcony plants are not particularly fond of a thick ginger tea (cooled, of course, and sprayed or poured onto the plant). You do not even have to use the whole root, just the rind left over from cooking.

So ginger has definitely found its place(s) with us now: On the balcony among the other plants, in the built-in kitchen cabinet, in the refrigerator, on the spice board…

At some point I realized that a lot of tiny, unfriendly plant munchers hate ginger.

Side Notes:

• I make ginger in oil from ginger that is no longer too juicy (see tips for making ginger in oil in the ingredient special on olives [‘The Princess of Oil Fruit’]. A spicy, fruity, versatile addition to well-seasoned dishes.
• For a longer-lasting effect, ginger can be added to nettle tea, which works even better when sprayed or poured on ‘overpopulated’ plants. Ginger bits will even reduce the stink when mixed into the nettle broth that some of you gardening experts use for really bad infestations. You know the kind: The brown, gooey mess that smells like a cow had a ‘ladies night out’ the evening before and ate/drunk too much of the bad stuff… (don’t add the ginger bits right away, but after about a third of the standing time, you can reduce the standing time – again, less stink). Actually, though, in my experience, if you use the ginger tea early enough – like in late spring, when everything is starting to turn green – the problem will not even get that bad, and you might even be able to avoid the cow hangover stench.
• If you are trying to repel woodworms, be aware that coffee will stain the wood. Also, never use coffee in planters or directly on the ground. It will kill many beneficial creatures such as earthworms or millipedes. And trying to use coffee to repel ants is useless – it just makes them really fast (no joke).