Ginger is a member of a plant family that includes cardamom and turmeric. Interestingly, ginger does not grow in the wild and its actual origins are uncertain. Ginger was used as a flavoring agent long before history was formally recorded. Indians and Chinese are believed to have produced ginger as a tonic root for over 5000 years to treat many ailments. It was an exceedingly important article of trade and was exported from India to the Roman Empire over 2000 years ago, where it was especially valued.

Ginger continued to be a highly sought after commodity in Europe even after the fall of the Roman Empire, with Arab merchants controlling the trade in ginger and other spices for centuries. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the value of a pound of ginger was equivalent to the cost of a sheep. By medieval times, it was being imported in preserved form to be used in sweets. Queen Elizabeth I of England is credited with the invention of the gingerbread man, which became a popular Christmas treat.

Ginger has been used for thousands of years for the treatment of numerous ailments, such as colds, nausea, arthritis, migraines, and hypertension.

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