Belcarra Garden Club
BC, Canada
Ginger (and Gingerbread, of course!)
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Gingerbread houses, cookies, and jelly candies—these delicious treats are a sure sign that Christmas is near! Ginger, whether fresh, powdered, or candied, is a versatile ingredient. It’s often used in baking and essential in many noodle dishes, stir-fries, and herbal teas. But ginger is more than just a tasty spice; it’s been valued for centuries for its medicinal properties, especially in soothing digestive troubles. With anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, heart health, and blood sugar benefits, ginger is a true kitchen hero. |
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Baking with ginger dates back to ancient Greece and Rome. By the 11th century, Asian ginger was a prized import in Europe, arriving via trade routes. Monks refined ginger recipes, and by the 1200s, shaped cookies began to appear. Queen Elizabeth I famously popularized the “Gingerbread Man,” presenting these whimsical cookies to guests at royal banquets. The beloved fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel” (1812) enthused the creation of gingerbread houses, which were already a cherished part of German Christmas celebrations. (In the 1600s, Nuremberg was declared the gingerbread capital of the world!) Fast forward to 2013, when Texas built the largest gingerbread house ever recorded—measuring an impressive 60 feet by 42 feet and standing 20 feet tall!
My students loved making Gingerbread Houses as part of the Christmas fun! I'm afraid that we "cheated" and purchased kits with preformed walls. (The fancy candies and goodies were all brought in by the students.) I'm not sure how long they lasted as home decorations before they were eaten!!!
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Gingerbread cookies come in many cultural varieties: German lebkuchen, Dutch speculaas, Scandinavian pepparkakor, Polish pierniczki, Croatian licitars, Czech pernik, and Russian pryaniki. Some regions even have gingerbread baking guilds (with strict regulations in the past), preserving unique recipes and traditions.
You can clearly see that I would NOT be invited into the Cookie Making Guild!
Nonetheless, not a crumb was left... at least the "Gingerbread Citrus Spice Recipe" was a hit.
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Growing Ginger at home
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Did you know you can grow ginger at home, even in the Lower Mainland? Ginger root (Zingiber officinale) thrives if sheltered from harsh winter weather. There’s also a milder, nutty-flavored variety called Fingerroot or Chinese ginger (Boesenbergia rotunda), popular in Southeast Asia and southern China.
photo from Britannica online |
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Growing Tips:
Please check the "how to" links below for full directions!
- Choose healthy, organic store-bought ginger rhizomes with visible “eyes.” Soak them overnight before planting.
- Make sure each piece you plant has at least one “eye.”
- Ginger loves warmth and humidity. Plant when temperatures are above 10ºC (50ºF)
or start indoors. - Slightly acidic soil is best. Feed regularly with fertilizer, compost, or worm tea.
- Place your ginger in a bright spot—some sources recommend full sun, others partial shade to prevent leaf burn.
- You can also grow ginger indoors under lights or on a bright window.
- The growing period is 10 to 12 months, so protect your plants from cold weather in the fall.
With a little care, you can enjoy home-grown ginger for cooking, baking, and even herbal remedies—bringing an extra touch of flavour to your kitchen!
Related Links:
Growing Ginger
How to Grow Ginger: a Guide for Zone 5b and beyond
https://plantedinthegarden.com/how-to-grow-ginger-indoors/
How to Grow Ginger and Turmeric in Canada
https://fromsoiltosoul.ca/how-to-grow-ginger-turmeric-in-canada/
The Ultimate Guide to Growing Ginger in Vancouver BC: Tips and Tricks for Success (note: this farm is not actually in BC!)
https://johnysfarm.com/how-to-grow-ginger-in-vancouver-bc/
An interesting article by a “home grower”
https://trustingwilder.com/can-we-grow-ginger-in-canada/
Ginger
https://www.britannica.com/plant/ginger
Ginger versus Fingerroot
https://cooknight.net/ginger-vs-ginger-root/
https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/Fingerroot_Ginger_11704.php
Ginger as a Health Benefit
A critical review of Ginger’s “medicinal properties”
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11187345/
https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/fingerroot/
https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/want-to-ease-chronic-inflammation
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/antioxidants-explained
https://microbiologysociety.org/why-microbiology-matters/knocking-out-antimicrobial-resistance/amr-explained/what-are-antimicrobials-and-how-do-they-work.html
Gingerbread History
The History of Gingerbread – The Spruce Eats
https://www.thespruceeats.com/the-history-of-gingerbread-1135954
Gingerbread History - Always the Holidays
https://alwaystheholidays.com/history-of-gingerbread/
World’s largest gingerbread house
https://kfyo.com/worlds-largest-gingerbread-house-texas/
Ginger in Baking
https://thecookingfacts.com/what-kind-of-ginger-do-you-use-for-baking/
Recipes (Of course there are hundreds!)
Gingerbread cookies vs Gingersnaps
The difference is mainly in the texture and firmness. Gingerbread cookies are softer and chewier whereas Gingersnaps are firm and crunchy.
https://www.bakingkneads.com/are-ginger-snaps-and-gingerbread-cookies-the-same/
Gingersnaps - Betty Crocker “classic gingersnaps”
https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/gingersnaps/1149da11-2d16-442a-b70d-9377cf2b8950
Gingerbread cookies - Chatelaine’s “classic gingerbread cookies”
https://chatelaine.com/recipe/desserts/classic-gingerbread-cookies/
Citrus Spice Gingerbread by Semi-Sweet Designs
https://www.semisweetdesigns.com/blog/citrus-spice-gingerbread-cookie-recipe
Gingerbread – All Recipes “old-fashioned gingerbread” cake
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/7322/favorite-old-fashioned-gingerbread/
Ginger Jelly candies
https://cooking-from-scratch.blogspot.com/2013/11/ginger-jellies.html
https://www.southernkitchen.com/story/recipes/2021/08/09/ginger-jelly-candies/5545445001/
Gingerbread house recipe
Oh my, you can even find recipes for houses that are for building NOT for eating… where’s the fun in that?
“The Spruce Eats” has a recipe that has more structure but is still edible. The difference is that there are no “leaveners” to make the shapes puffy, and it has corn syrup to make the dough firm.
https://www.thespruceeats.com/gingerbread-house-dough-recipe-1136139
Okay, here’s one if you really need a construction grade recipe.
https://sugargeekshow.com/news/gingerbread-house-recipe/
