Ginger

*Zingiber officinale*

How to know it

Narrow upright leaves on slender stems, reaching about a metre. Very similar to turmeric above ground. The rhizome below is knobbly, pale gold, and unmistakable once handled.

What it does

Used in cooking everywhere and traditionally taken for nausea and stomach upset, which is one of the few traditional uses with reasonable modern evidence behind it. Fresh ginger tastes noticeably sharper than the dried powder children may know.

Safety

Safe. Strong tasting, so offer a very small piece and let children refuse.

Two things to do with children

Buy a fresh rhizome, plant it in a pot with a bud facing up, and wait. It sprouts in a few weeks and children who planted a piece of kitchen ginger find that genuinely surprising.

Grate a little into hot water and let children compare it with the powdered version. The difference is large enough to start a conversation about what drying does.