A Comparative Study Of Indonesian And Chinese Ginger

This thesis classified, compiled, and analyzed numerous reports from Indonesia and other countries, then verify the content, function, and utilization of three kinds of Indonesian gingers (small white ginger, big yellow ginger and red ginger). The result of this thesis proposes optimum ways to maximize efficacy of ginger in clinical use and to eliminate any potential side effects. At the same time, the result compares and summarizes the use of ginger in Indonesia and China for better understanding in selecting and using ginger in various aspects.There are four main contents of this research:1. The origins of ginger and its distributionThe author collected, read and summarized foreign and domestic sources to understand the origin, diversification and usage of ginger from all over the world. The results are:(1) there are two hypotheses about the origin of ginger and its dissemination trail. First, the origin of ginger was from India, which was brought to ancient Rome, Greek and East Africa by Arabian. Then, the Romans brought ginger to all Europe (including German France, and Spain). After that, the Spanish brought ginger to Jamaica and Mexico. The Greeks brought ginger to Egypt, the Portuguese brought ginger from East Africa to West Africa. Indians also brought the ginger to China by trading. Second, China was the origin of ginger, the Chinese, while immigrating or doing some trade, brought and disseminated ginger to other countries, such as Indonesia, India, Phillipines, Brunei, Madagascar etc. (2) When ginger was disseminate to various countries, its roles were essentially the same, used as medicines, dressings, spices and tributes, but in different applications according to local customs habits and characteristics.2. Indonesia and Chinese ginger varieties and applicationThis long period of domestication might have caused the modifications of this crop, which in the end created a lot of ginger varieties. The main characteristics of the species closely related with its growth areas. As one of the countries where ginger is widely cultivated, China ginger has numerous varieties since each cultivar had dozens of ginger varieties. Indonesia categorized all gingers according to its shape, size and color bracts into three types of variants, namely big yellow ginger (Zingiber officinale var. officinale), small white ginger(Zingiber officinale var. Amarum) and red ginger (Zingiber officinale var. Rubrum). Due to various factors, such as harvest time, growth environment, rhizomes condition (dry or fresh) and natural geographical conditions, different varieties of ginger contains different ingredients, thus the efficacy of ginger is mainly determined by its active ingredient.There are medicinal and non-medicinal purposes of ginger application in Indonesia. Ginger for non-medicinal efficacy is used as flavorant, spices and cosmetics, while for medicinal efficacy ginger is use to relieve pain, suppress cough and phlegm, reduce cold chills, reduce swelling and inflammation, reduce dampness, promote blood circulation, cure impotence, regulate Qi, improve physical strength, anti-nausea, anti-vomiting, digestion aid, and detoxification of ingested insect poison. Currently through identification of active ingredients, such as oil extracts, chemical compositions, and enzymes in Indonesian ginger varieties, we can determine the amount of ginger of each variant to achieve the required strength for each distinct application.Chinese gingers have different shape characteristics and active ingredients content between each variety, so the application of each ginger variety varies to properly utilize the benefits for distinct applications. As medicine, in order to ensure its efficacy, we should consider its origin and content of active ingredients.3. The comparative study of ginger usage between Indonesia and ChinaComparative study for the ginger usage between Indonesia and China can be classified in for major uses:Flavorants, Spice, Beauty, and Medical uses. As flavorants and spice, ginger serves to impart flavor and pungency to the food, deodorizing, preventing spoilage food anti-flatulent, and disperse cold taste. In China, the use of ginger for beauty purpose is still very rare, but a few people use it for anti-aging, fleck remover, and promote hair growth. Meanwhile in Indonesia the usage of ginger for beauty is very often. Other then use it for fleck remover, promote hair growth, the Indonesian they used it for skin moisturizer, oil remover, anti-dandruff, and even tighten women breast. The ginger used method from these two countries basicly similar. From medical factor, both country used it as antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, cold disperse, antinauseant, cough suppressant, releasing dampness, promoting blood circulation, anti-bacterial, and freshness stimulusand laxatives. Indonesian also uses ginger as aphrodisiacs and promote breast milk production drugs. Dosage factor, China and Indonesia usually use 10-15 grams of ginger.