Local interest in ginger may not be exactly marginal though the extent of its cultivation and use locally pales into insignificance when compared with other countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa, not least, China and India, the world’s two leading ginger exporters, and Nigeria, reportedly Africa’s biggest consumer.
Customarily, ginger’s popularity in Guyana has been mostly seasonal, with demand largely hinged to its role as the principal ingredient in Ginger Beer, a popular Guyanese beverage, associated with Christmas.
Beyond its central role in the ‘brewing’ of ginger beer, ginger is also commonly pressed into service for what are held to be its medicinal properties. Here in Guyana ginger is commonly used to suppress nausea, vomiting and menstrual cramps, and in a more substantive medicinal role as treatment for arthritis, diabetes and migraines.
