Thai spices, aroma and flavour, culinary use, and medicinal use

Celery:

Aroma and Flavour: Celery seeds should be used with discretion as they have a fairly strong, and sometimes rather bitter, flavour. There is no mistaking their distinctive, celery aroma.

Culinary Use: Whole celery seeds can be added to bread dough or when making cheese biscuits, and savoury dishes. A few seeds can be sprinkled over lightly boiled carrots, grilled tomatoes or salads and they are especially complementary to egg and fish dishes. Celery salt and celery pepper are both made by grinding the seeds with either salt or peppercorns in the required proportions. Use these seasonings judiciously as their flavours are strong. Celery salt or pepper is best made when required.

Medicinal and Other Use: The oil from the seeds is used medically to treat asthma, flatulence and bronchitic conditions.

Chillies:

Chillies have a chemical effect on our bodies which some of us enjoy more than others. Once you have got over the stage where the slightest hint of chilli makes you cry and splutter, you may find that the flavour becomes pleasurable and even addictive. Chillies are rich in Vitamin C, they stimulate the appetite and cool the body, especially in hot climates, by making the person sweat. The cooling effect also creates a feeling of calm and benignity. To relieve the burning sensation in the mouth, drink yogurt or milk, not water or beer.

Aroma and Flavour: The characteristic pungency of chillies is caused by the presence of capsaicin. Research has indicated that the components of casaicin (capsaicinoids) promote different taste sensations when eaten, giving either a short fiery flavour or lingering hot taste. The hotness is said not to come from the seeds but rather the placenta. This is the pithy white part of the fruit to which the seeds are attached, and it contains the most capsaicin so removal of both seeds and placenta should reduce the pungency of chillies, if required.

Culinary Use: The chilli flavour revolutionized the cooking of tropical countries with bland staple foods, like cassava in South America, West and East Africa; rice in India and South-east Asia; and beans in Mexico and the Southern States of America. Famous Mexican moles, chilli con carne and Tex-mex foods make extensive use of chillies. Curries from Thailand and Malaysia, and Indonesian sambals and satays all rely on chillies for their characteristic flavours. Many Szechuan dishes depend on the chilli flavour. Countries which do not use chillies as extensively in everday dishes also depend on their heat for certain traditional preparations; for example, piquant pasta dishes from Italy use fresh and dries chillies, and prudent use of chillies is made in many of the pickles, relishes and cooked chutneys of the more Northern European coutries.

Chilli Products:

Cayenne Pepper: This is a very fine ground powder from the Capsicum frutescens variety of Chilli. The placenta and seeds are included in the powder, making it very hot, so it must be used judiciously. This is named on account of its origins in the Cayenne region of French Guyana but the chillies used in its preparation now come from India, Japan and East Africa. Cayenne is widely used as a seasoning (in tiny anounts), for example in savoury biscuits and cheese and egg dishes, and it is also added to some curries.

Chilli Powder: Milder than cayenne pepper and more coarsely ground, this is prepared form a variety of mild to hot chillies. Check the ingredients list, as some chilli powders (especially those of American type) contain a variety of other flavours, such as garlic, onion, cumin and oregano. They are added for convenience for use in chilli con carne. If the chilli powder is dark in colour, it may contain the rich-rush-coloured ancho chilli.

For best results make your own chilli powder. Deseed dried chillies, then dry-gry them and grind them to the required fineness.

Chilli Sauce: Tabasco sauce is a North American seasoning made from extremely hot tabasco or cone chillies, which are mixed with salt and vinegar and then matured in white oak casks for several years. Many of the islands of the Caribbean have their own style of chilli sauce. Most are, like Tabasco, made from steeping the chillies in vinegar and all are very hot indeed. Chilli sauces are widely used in small quantities as a general seasoning. Tabasco is served with tomato juice and used to flavour Bloody Mary cocktails.

Chilli Paste: Ready-made chilli paste is sold in small jars. However, it is easy to make at home. Simply seed fresh chillies, then pure'e them in a food precessor to make a smooth paste. An onion can be added to the processor to add bulk to the paste. Store small anounts in the fridge for up to 1 week, or spoon into small containers, cover and freeze for up to 6 months.

Crushed Chillies: These dried chilli flakes contain both the flesh and seeds form red chillies and can be used in place of some or all of the chilli powder in a dish.

Paprika:

Hungarians have adopted this as their national spice, using it generously in their famous goulashes stews and chicken dishes. Paprika also has an affinity with Spanish and Portuguese cuisines. Crops are grown in Andalucia and Extremadura in Spain and in Portugal. About half the Spanish crop, which can often be quite pungent, is exported to the USA.

If you find the true fresh paprika peppers, which are very like ordinary or seet red peppers, but more pointed, try stuffing them with minced lamb seasoned with oregano or theme, cooked in a tomato sauce - they are excellent.

Papaya Seeds:

Aroma and Flavour: Papaya seeds are slightly aromtic when fresh but their aroma is less pronounced as they dry. Fresh seeds have a sparky taste, strongly resembling that of mustard and cress. They can be used fresh or allowed to dry in the sun, when their smell and taste are somewhat diminished.

Culinary Use: The plant sap, which is tapped from the trees like rubber, is rich in the enzyme papain which is an efficient meat tenderizer of commercial value. Both fruit and seeds also contain papain. Rub tough meat with the seeds and the skin of the fruit, or wrap it in papaya leaves (if available) and leave to marinate for several hours. Remove the papaya leaf wrapping before cooking . Crushed papaya seeds can be added to minced meat for koftas (spicey meatballs) or to a marinade for meat. Some of the pounded flesh of the fruit can also be added. When cooked, the meat will be tender with and interesting, peppery flavour.

Crushed papaya seeds can be added to salad dressing s or sauces to serve with fish. They also add texture and flavour to a fruit salad. The fresh fruit can be served in slim wedges with the seeds still intact. Next time you cut a papaya, remember the many interesting ways in which the seeds can be used before you discard them.

Medicinal and Other Use: In India, papaya seeds are chewed to freshen the breath, and they are widely used as pessaries, also as a medicine for flatulence and piles. Australian aboringines have a more romantic approach to the seeds, and consider them to be of value as an aphrodisiac.

Kaffir Lime Leaves:

Aroma and Flavour: The haunting bouquet is unmistakably citrus and scented. The full citrus flavour is imparted when the leaves are torn or shredded.

Culinary Use: Apart from the leaves of the bush , only the fruit rind is used, finely grated, in Thai and Indonesian dishes. The leaves are torn or finely shredded and used in soups and curries - they also give a distinctive flaour to fish and chicken dishes.

Medicinal and Other Use: The citrus juice used to be included in Thai ointments and shampoo, and in tonics in Malaysia.

Storage: Buy fresh lime leaves in Oriental stores and freeze them for future use. Dried lime leaves are now available.

Coriander:

Aroma and Flavour: Dry-fried seeds have a heady, slightly 'burnt orange' aroma, which is very appealing. The ground seeds give a pleasing, mild and sweet taste. The seeds have a long shelf life and are easily ground to a powder: the freshly ground spice is to be recommended because it has a more pronounced flavour than ready ground coriander. The latter loses flavour and aroma quite quickly.

Culinary Use: Every Indian household uses huge quantities of ground coriander in curry powders, garam masala and other spice mixes. Coriander seeds are frequently combined with cumin seeds, the two spices being dry-fried together before being ground. This combination is common in Middle Eastern dishes too. Whole coriander may be added to chicken and pork casseroles, and it is one of the ingredients in pickling spice. Whole or ground coriander may be used in chutneys, particularly with green tomatoes. Whole or coarsely ground coriander may be used in dishes 'a la Grecque'.

Medicinal and Other Use: Coriander seed oil has myriad medicinal uses. It has antibacterial properties and is also included in treatments for colic, neuralgia and rheumatism. The oil also conuteracts unpleasant odours in pharmaceutical preparations and tobacco; and it is used in perfumes, liqueurs and gin. The seeds are ground into a paste for application to skin and mouth ulcers. Before toothpaste was commonly used, coriander seeds were chewed as a breath sweetener.

Cumin:

Aroma and Flavour: Cumin has a strong, spicy, sweet aroma with a slightly bitter and punggent taste. The pungency and bitterness are particularly noticeable in the ground spice; however, as it is frequently used with coriander, the bitterness is counteracted. Dry-frying before grinding brings out a toasted, nutty flavour, making the spice less harsh. Buy the seeds and grind them as required for superb flavour. Black cumin seeds have a slightly sweeter, more dilicate, flavour than the white seeds.

Culinary Use: On account of its strong flavour, ground cumin is most popular in cuisines which are generally highly spiced; for example in Indian, Middle Eastern, North African and Mexican cooking. Cumin is an essential ingredient in most Indian curry powders and garam masala. It is added to soups and stews, expecially Moroccan lamb dishes and Mexican meat dishes, such as chilli con carne. Cumin seed contributes a lighter flavour, without the distinctive bitterness, and it is valued in Indian vegetable, rice and dhal recipes. Black cumin is particularly associated with Indian rice preparations.

Cumin features widely in German cookery, in classics like sauerkraut, pickles, sausages and Munster cheese. It is also used in Dutch cheese based on an old medieval recipe.

Medicinal and Other Use: Cumin is regarded as an appetite stimulant, and it is widely used to ease stomach disorders, flatulence, colic and diarrhoea. It is also used in veterinary medicines. Cumin oil is used in perfumes.

Turmeric:

Aroma and Flavour: Tumeric has a peppery aroma and flavour with a hint of wood. It has a warm, musky flavour with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Culinary Use: Where a recipe calls for saffron some might suggest substituting turmeric, but it is a misconception that turmeric is regarded only as a second-rate alternative to the most expensive of spices. In Indian cooking turmeric is often used as an everyday alternative to saffron. It may be added to dishes usually spiced with saffron for its colour, but not for the flavour, and it is sometimes referred to as saffron in this context. Using turmeric in place of saffron is in the interest of economy; saffron would be reserved for celebration dishes: pilaus for weddings, for example.

Turmeric is, perhaps, best appreciated as an ingredient in curries and curry powders, contributing flavour as well as the characteristic yellow colour. It is also used in chutneys and pickles, particularly piccalili, kedgeree and many Indian rice, vegetable and dhal dishes. Turmeric is popular in many North African dishes to spice lamb and vegetables.

Medicinal and Other Use: Turmeric is aromatic and a mild digestive, and in Asian countries it is taken to ease liver complaints and stomach ulcers. Boiled with milk and sugar, it is said to be a cure for colds. The role of turmeric as a dye was mentioned in an ancient Assyrian herbal recipe from 600 BC, and it is still used as a dye for cotton and silk. It is widely used in the food industry as an edible colouring in mustards, butter, cheese and liqueurs.

Storage: The powder should be bough in small quantities and stored in an airtight container away from strong light to preserve its colour and flavour. Whole pieces of dried turmeric are sometimes used in pickling. It is difficult to grind the dried spice and therefor best to buy ready ground turmeric.

Lemon Grass:

Aroma and Flavour: Lemon grass stem do not have an identifiable aroma until they are cut, then they have a distinctive citrus bouquet. Lemon grass contributes a 'bright' lemon flavour to dishes - lemon rind is sometimes recommended as an alternative, but it does not match the l ively flavour of the grass.

Culinary Use: Lemon grass features in many dishes, including soups, marinades, stir-fries, curries, salads and pickles. It is a perfect partner for coconut milk, especially in the those dishes using fish, seafood and chicken. Sereh powder (ground dried lemon grass) can be used in place of fresh - 1 tsp is equivalent to one stalk. In South America, a refreshing tea is made by infusing the leaves in water.

Medicinal and Other Use: The medicinal and cosmetic value of lemon grass was recognized centuries ago by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. The essential oil from lemon grass is used in soaps and perfumes and for aromatherapy. An ointment containing the oil is said to be good for rheumatism, lumbago and sprains.

Storage: When wrapped in a paper bag, lemon grass stems will keep in the vegetable compartment of the fridge for 2-3 weeks. The lower part of the stem can be sliced or pounded and frozed along with the top half of the stems, tied in a separate bundle. Freeze the equivalent of two stems in separate portions and label the mfor future reference.

Cardamom:

Aroma and Flavour: The pungent and warm bouquet of cardamom seeds with their distinct aroma is unforgettable. Cardamoms have a pleasing, warm, slightly lemonlike flavour, with a distinct element of eucalyptus and camphor that will sweeten the breath of the seeds are chewed - the perfect antidote to garlic or alcohol.

Culinary Use: Cardamom plays an essential role in both sweet and savoury dishes, worldwide. It is esential in a wide range of Indian dishes: curries, pilaus, garam masala and other spice mixtures. It is also vital to the flavour of many Indian sweetmeats and desserts, such as the popular ice cream kulfi and milk updding s. Cardamom is used extensively in Scandinavian cooking, in pickles, with herrings, cakes and pastries. It also flavour Aquavit.

Arab traders became addicted to the cardamom-flavoured coffee known as 'gahwa', and it is still served today, with much ceremony, as a symbol of Arab hospitality. The curved spout of the coffee pot is stutffed with a few opened cardamom pods which flavour the strong coffee as it is poured: good manners dictate that you must drink at least three cups.

Medicinal and Other Use: The seeds and pods contain a volatile oil which is used in perfumes and as a stimulant. Cardamom features often in 'The Arabian Nights', where its aphrodisiac properties are extolled; that belief is still held in the Middle East today. Additionally it is held that cardamom is a stimulant, that it cools the body in extreme heat and that it aids digestion.

Storage: Always buy whole, unsplit pods in small quantities as they lose their flavour as the grow stale. Ready ground cardamom is rarely available, extremly costly and not to be recommended as the seeds lose their flavour very quickly once removed from the pods; also, the powder may well have been adulterated. Store the pods in a small, airtight jar in a cool dark place.

Cloves:

Aroma and Flavour: Approaching a clove tree is a heady experience, as the warm, pungent aroma drifts towards you. Cloves have a slightly astringent, sweetly pungent and strongly aromatic flavour.

Culinary Use: Cloves are included in many classic spice mixtures, including Chinese five spice powder; Indian and Oriental curry powders; European whole pickling spices; spices for mulling wine; and ground mixed spice for baking.

Whole cloves are frequently used ot flavour cooking liquids for simmering fish, poultry, game or meat. They feature in classic sauces and are a festive flavouring and garnish for baked hams.

Cloves have a particular association with apples and are added to apple sauce, tarts and pies or other apple puddings. Ground cloves are used to spice rich cakes, biscuits, gingerbreads and satisfying puddings from all over the world.

Medicinal and Other Use: Oil from cloves, which is distilled from the buds, leaves and stalks, is a valuable commondity: it is a strong antiseptic and preservative, and it is used in toothpastes, mouthwashes and gargle preparations. Additionally it is used to treat flatulence, colic, indigestion and nausea. A cotton bud soaked in oil of cloves eases toothache when applied to the tooth.

Storage: Buy whole cloves which have a long shelf life if kept in a cool place away from strong light. To make your own powder when just a small amount is required, grind the central bud at the top of the nail. Powdered cloves are available, but buy the powder in small quantities as required as the flavour and colour soon dissipates.

Galangal:

Aroma and Flavour: Greater ganangal has a pine-like aroma with a corresponding pungent flavour. Lesser galangal is distinctly more aromatic with a stronger peppery taste, so when available it is used discreetly. It is well washed and cut into thin slices to add to earthy curries, which can accommodate its pungent aroma and strong taste.

Culinary Use: Galangal is used in all the cuisines of south-east Asia, particularly in seafood and chicken dishes. It is frequently pounded with onion, garlic, chillies and ginger to make a spice paste. Slices are added to Thai soups with shreds of lemon grass and lime leaves.

Medicinal and Other Use: Galangal is used in medicines to treat nausea, flatulence, stomach problems and catarrh; in India it is also recommended as a cure for halitosis. It has anti-bacterial properties and is used in homeopathic medicines.

Storage: Wrap the fresh root in a piece of paper and store it in the vegetable compartment of the fridge for up to two weeks. Dried slices and powdered laos are available from specialist shops. The slices are added to curries and stews and removed before serving. Buy small quantities of the powder and store it in an airtight container away from strong light.

Pepper:

Aroma and Flavour: Black peppercorns have a special, earthy, rich aroma and they taste highly pungent with a richness reflected in the aroma. White peppercorns are less earthy and not as pungent or rich as the black spice. The flavour of white pepper is cleaner, less rich and not as complex. Green peppercorns are lighter in flavour than the black spice, but just as hot. They do not smell or taste as complex as the other peppers.

Culinary Use: Pepper is one of the most versatile spices, used in virtually all savoury cooking. Both black and white pepper is used in cuisines worldwide, at all stages of the cooking process and as a table condiment. Not only does pepper contribute its own special seasoning, it has the capacity to enhance other flavours.

This spice is also used in sweet cookery; black pepper is added to fruit cakes and gingerbreads, sometimes in quite considerable quantities, and it can be served as a light seasoning on fresh fruit. Try grinding pepper on slices of fresh pineapple, fry them n unsalted butter and flambe' them with rum over a flavored sensation. Fresh strawberries are excitingly different when topped with a light grinding of black pepper before the ubiquitous dollop of cream is added. Sweet, juicy figs accompanied by soft goats' cheese taste wonderful seasoned with pepper.

White pepper is older than pepper black spice and has a distinguishably different flavour. It can be used in pale milk or cream sauces, where specks of black pepper would spoil the appearance; in some instances freshly ground white pepper is more complementary of the flavour of the food, for example with creamy mashed potatoes

Medicinal and Other Use: Pepper has long been recognized as an ingredient for stimulating the appetite as well as being an aid in the relief of nausea. In India it has been used as a medicine since time immemorial for the treatment of anything from paralysis to toothache. East Africans are said to believe that body odour produced after eating substantial amounts of pepper repels mosquitoes.

The Peppers:

Black Peppercorns: The green berries are dried on mats in the sun and raked several times a day for a week until they are wrinkled and black. Sometimes, the berries are scalded with boiling water before they are dried.

White Peppercorns: The red and orange berries are packed in sacks and soaked for a week under slowly running water. This process rots the outer husks of the berries so that it can then be removed by rubbing them between the hands over sieves. The husked berries are white peppercorns.

Green Peppercorns: These are occasionally available fresh, still on the long stem. Used particularly in Thai cooking, green peppercorns also complement game and duck dishes, terrines and creamy sauces. Green peppercorns are available pickled in brine or vinegar, or freeze dried. Remember to rinse pickled peppercorns well before using them.

Long Pepper: Though this was popular in Greek and Roman times, it is difficult to find now, even in its igneous home in India. Part of the 'Anacardiaceae' family, this takes the botanical name 'Piper longum'.

Cubeb: Grown mostly in the wild, cubeb are the dried unripe fruits of a member of the vine family. They are similar in size to a peppercorn with a distinctive 'tail'. Cubeb can be used as a pepper substitute as it has similar characteristics. Buy it ground in health food and specialist shops.

Salt

Aroma and Flavour: Salt is the universal seasoning ingredient used to bring out the flavour in both sweet and savory dishes. Salt is odourless but strongly flavored: without it our meals would be dull and insipid.

Culinary Use: Salt is used widely in preserving meat, fish and vegetables. An intriguing Chinese recipe envelopes a chicken in hot salt. After one hour the sweet tender juicy chicken is ready, and the salt can be used again.

Medicinal and Other Use: A salt water gargle is the traditional source of relief when a cold threatens or for a sore throat.

Storage: Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place. Do not keep salt in silver salt cellars or leave a silver spoon in salt. The chlorine in the salt reacts with the silver, causing it to turn green.

Types of Salt:

Rock salt, salt from the earth, comes from undergroud deposits formed over the millennia by the drying up of inland lakes and seas. Water is pumped into the salt caves and the brine is pumped to the suface. The brine is then boiled and allowed to crystallize.

From this we botain kichen salt or cooking salt, which used to be sold or block salt but is now sold as a fairly coarse, refined salt kept free flowing by the addition of magnesium carbonate to prevent ti taking in moisture from the air.

Table salt in finer in texture. A few granis of rice used to be added to salt cellars; the rice absorbed moisture from the salt. This tip is still practised in some countries where salt tends to become damp.

Rock salt is the term usually given to the larger crystals produced by the process. Some believe it to be superior in flavour. The salt is either ground in a salt mill or pounded in a mortar with a pestle.

Sea salt is produced by the evaporation of sea water, either naturally or by artificial means. It is said that there is enough salt in the sea to cover the world's landmass to a depth of over 30 metres/100 feet. Some find that the flavour of sea salt is the best for both cooking and for table use. It is sometimes called bay salt.

English sea salt comes mainly from Maldon in Essex. The characteristic flakes have an excellent 'salty' Flavour and can be sprinkled on to bread rolls and savoury biscuits before baking.

Black salt is dary grey and it has a pinkish tinge when ground. It is used both as a seasoning and a a spice in Indian cooking. It has a definite tang and hint of smokiness to its flavour.

Sesame

Aroma and Flavour: In spite of their high oil content, sesame seeds have little aroma, but when they are dry-fried their nutty aroma is very pronounced and their flavor heightened.

Culinary Use: Sesame oil is used in margarines and as a cooking medium and a flavouring ingredient. The seeds are ground to an oily, beige-coloured paste known as tahini, which is used in hummus, a Middle Eastern dip. Sometimes the tahini is mixed with lemon juice and gralic and used as a dip with hot pitta bread as starter or picnic food.

The Chinese are fond of sesame; sesame oil is widely used in Chinese cooking as a flavouring. The seeds are also used, for example sesame prawn toasts are scattered with seeds before they are deep-fried. They are also sprinkled over Chinese toffee apples, pieces of apple fried in a light batter and coated in caramel. Both oil and seeds are sued in the cooking of other Far Eastern countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Gomasio is a Japanese specialty using sesame seeds: s mixture of the ground seeds and salt sued as a seasoning.

The seeds are popular scattered on bread, sweet and savoury biscuits, particularly in Greece and Turkey.

Medicinal and Other Use: Sesame is used in laxatives, as an emollient and in poultices. Sesame oil, also called gingelly oil, is highly stable and it does not become rancid quickly in hot humid conditions; it is used in lubricants, soap, cosmetics and ointments. The mixture or 'cake' that remains after the pressing of the oil is full of protein and eaten as a subsistence food.

Tamarind

Aroma and Flavour: Tamarind has little smell - perhaps a hint of sweet and sour to its aroma-but its flavour makes up for this, being particularly sour, yet fruity and refreshing, resembling sour prunes.

Culinary Use: Recipes which have been adapted for Western kitchens may suggest substituting lemon juice for tamarind, but if you know the taste of tamarind, it alone will suffice. Tamarind is readily available in Oriental stores in slices, as a block or as a concentrate. Tamarind is a standard ingredient throughout India and South-east Asia in curries, chutneys, lentil and bean dishes as well as in the famous hot and sour soups. The juice is made into a refreshing drink in both the Middle East and the West Indies. Tamarind is also one of the ingredients in the famous Worcestershire sauce.

Medicinal and Other Use: Tamarind is used as a laxative and for tummy upsets. It is antiseptic, used in eye baths and for the treatments of ulcers. Over-ripe fruits can be used to clean copper and brass, a common practice in colonial times.

Ginger

Aroma and Flavour: The aroma when you cut into a piece of fresh root ginger has a hint of lemon, with a refreshing sharpness. Jamaica ginger is said to have the finest aroma, with the Kenyan spice being of good quality too. Other African and Indian gingers have a darker skin and a biting, less pleasant flavour.

Culinary Use: The essential oil is used in commercial flavourings. Fresh root ginger is extremely popular in a huge variety of stir-fry or curry dishes. Authentically, fresh root India and oriental countries. It is incorporated by different techniques slices may be added to marinades or in cooking, to be discarded on the side of the plate or bowl as the food is eaten. Grated, chopped or crushed ginger is used in pastes or braised dishes. Finely shredded ginger is added to fried and stir-fried dishes, or it may be used raw in salads. Pickled and preserved types are served as appetizers or used in savoury cooking.

All these methods are employed to flavour fish and seafood, poultry, meat, vegetable and noodle dishes. Ginger is also widely appreciated in new cooking styles, for example with chicken and game in casseroles.

Ginger is all essential in much western baking, for example in traditional gingerbreads, cakes, biscuits (such as ginger snaps), French pain d' epice and German Pfefferkuchen. The spice is also important in chutneys, pickles, jams and sweet preserves as well as drinks, such as ginger beer, ginger ale and ginger wine.

Medicinal and Other Use: Henry VIII is said to have used ginger as a medicine for its qualities, as outlined by Culpeper, the herbalist, 150 years later: Ginger helps digestion, warms the stomach, clear the sight, and is profitable for old men; it heats the joints and is therefore useful against gout'. Ginger has an impressive record in treating all kinds of ailments: it is said to help poor circulation, and to cure flatulence and indigestion; it is taken as a drink for coughs, nausea and influenza. In the East ginger is chewed to ward off evil spirits. it is considered to be a cure for travel sickness. The essential oil is used in perfumery.