Ginger in the Talmud
Our Rabbis of Blessed Memory have stated that almost all foods are beneficial to one and detrimental to another except for ginger and several other victuals that are of benefit to the entire body. (Pesachim 42b)
Whether you use Ginger fresh, dry or candied its benefits will help you. However, a different Bracha, Blessing before eating, Ginger applies. Fresh ginger is to be blessed with the Bracha of “Boreh Pri Haadama – The one who creates fruit of the ground.” However, dry Ginger has no Bracha since it is not edible the way it is.
The greatest immediate benefit most cooks can get out of using ginger is to use it in place of soup mix containing MSG. A great chef taught me about the advantages of using soup mix in addition to real soup stock. I, personally, substitute half of the soup mix I used to use with dry ginger.
Ginger adds authentic zest to food. The sharp flavor associated with ginger mellows during the cooking process. The spicier you want the dish to be the later you should add the ginger.
Little needs to be added to demonstrate how Our Rabbis of Blessed Memory felt about ginger Although, we might want to know what specific benefits one gets from eating ginger.
Ginger is known to warm the body and to aid in digestion. One teaspoon of grated fresh ginger in a cup of boiling water tastes very delicious. I sweeten it with brown sugar. This will assist your body in digesting even tough meats thus preventing nausea. Drinking this and generally consuming ginger might also clear the nose from allergens and reduce the pain of arthritis. Research has been done on ginger’s assistance in curing skin cancer. It reduces cholesterol and blood pressure as well as aiding in the prevention of blood clots that cause stroke.