What is ginger tea?

Ginger tea is a single-serving tea bag made from dried ginger roots. Simply place a tea bag in hot water and steep for 1-2 minutes to fully enjoy the unique taste and aroma of ginger. Because ginger tea has a strong, spicy flavor and a pleasant fragrance, it is widely enjoyed as both a health tea and a refreshing beverage. Here is a brief introduction to the raw material, ginger.

Ginger

Ginger (Saeng-gang) is called "sae-ang" or "sae-yang" in pure Korean, terms that evolved from the pronunciation of the Sino-Korean word 生薑. I have fond childhood memories of village elders storing ginger in earthen cellars built into loess cliffs. Due to its pungent aroma and spicy taste, ginger is a beloved spice, seasoning, and healthy vegetable around the world.

It is said that the character "gang" (薑) in the name "saeng-gang" (生薑) originated from the meaning "a plant that wards off evil." The term "gang-eo" (疆禦) means to repel. This interpretation comes from the great Song dynasty scholar, Wang Anshi. The name likely arose because of the popular belief that ginger protected humans from ghosts and harmful animals. Given records that indigenous people in the tropical islands south of China used ginger in religious ceremonies to exorcise evil spirits, Wang Anshi's interpretation seems plausible.

The origin of ginger is in the islands spanning from Singapore and Malaysia to the Philippines, a region specifically known as "Maritime Southeast Asia." While it is unknown exactly when ginger arrived in Korea, it was recorded as being cultivated in 1018 during the Goryeo Dynasty, and was listed as a medicinal herb in the Hyangyak Gugeupbang (estimated to be published in 1236), showing that ginger has been part of our ancestors' lives for at least a thousand years.

Humans began cultivating ginger about 5,000 years ago. It spread from its origin to India around 3,500 years ago, entered Greece and Rome in the 1st century AD, reached England in the 11th century, and spread to the Americas in the 16th century, establishing itself as a global root vegetable and spice today. Judging by its inclusion in the Chinese medical text Shennong Bencaojing and the ancient Indian medical text Ayurveda, humanity has been using ginger for health purposes for at least 2,000 years.

Ginger is planted in the spring (April-May) and harvested around October-November. In Korea, major production areas are Jeonbuk, Chungnam, and Gyeongbuk, with Wanju-gun in Jeonbuk being the largest producer. India is the world's largest ginger producer, with Nigeria, China, and Indonesia also being major producers. Below are photos of moisture-rich ginger and its cross-section.

Types of Ginger

Ginger is a perennial tropical/subtropical plant belonging to the genus Zingiber. There are about 150 species within the genus. Ginger varieties are classified into early-maturing, medium-to-late, and late-maturing types, which differ in their level of pungency. Terms like "geon-gang" (dried ginger) or "pyeon-gang" (sliced ginger) do not refer to ginger varieties, but rather to how the ginger was processed for its intended use.

Saeng-gang (生薑) refers to raw ginger root, also called fresh ginger. Typically, ginger is peeled and pickled in vinegar or alcohol, crushed or juiced for seasoning in seafood, meat, vegetable dishes, or kimchi, steeped in hot water, thinly sliced and soaked in honey, or used to make candied ginger.

Geon-gang (乾薑) refers to dried ginger. There are specific names depending on the drying method: dried with the skin on is geon-saeng-gang (dried raw ginger); peeled and dried is baek-gang (white ginger); peeled, dried, and steamed/processed is geon-gang (dried ginger); and peeled and charred black is heuk-gang (black ginger). Their uses vary slightly. Dried ginger powder is often used in curry, bread, cookies, crackers, cakes, beer, and carbonated drinks.

Pyeon-gang (片薑) is made by peeling, slicing, boiling in water to reduce spiciness, simmering in starch syrup, and coating in sugar before drying. Pyeon-gang is commonly used as a snack or appetizer; the image below shows pyeon-gang.

Whether in the East or West, ginger is used in many ways globally. Fresh ginger, dried ginger, and sliced ginger are all used for food and health purposes. Even ginger leaves and root skins are used for edible and health applications.

Components of Ginger

Below is the general composition table for ginger from the USDA. "Dry matter basis" in the parentheses means the figures were calculated after removing moisture.

Ginger Root Composition Table (USDA, 2019, dry matter basis)

The supplier of this product is Onyudam (CEOs: Yoon Sung-hyun, Jo Su-in), and the manufacturer is Hapcheon Herbal Processing Farming Association (CEO: Baek Moon-gi). CEO Baek, who operated a medicinal herb farm with his parents for over 20 years, founded the Hapcheon Herbal Processing Farming Association in 1996, established a processing plant the following year, received the $500,000 Export Tower award in 2003, and served as the 17th-18th president of the Korea Herbal Medicine Association.

The Hapcheon Herbal Processing Farming Association cultivates over 60 types of medicinal plants, including chrysanthemum, hydrangea, mulberry, persimmon, peony, achyranthes, safflower, motherwort, schisandra, matrimony vine, dogwood, milk vetch, green tea, actinidia, and balloon flower, all used as raw materials for their health teas. The association sells its products through domestic and international channels and also supplies products to other companies via OEM.

The association received the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Award in 2002, trademarked 'Sangrime' in 2007, received the international food safety certification ISO22000 in 2015, was registered as a venture company in the same year, patented a balloon flower tea production method in 2017, received the HACCP certification from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2018 (No. 2018-2-9156), and received organic certification for chrysanthemum (No. 17100199) in 2019, establishing its status as a strong, small business. Below is a brief introduction to the Hapcheon Herbal Processing Farming Association.

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