Ginger cultivation began in tropical Asia and spread to West Africa and the Caribbean in the 16th century. Ginger is an ancient spice which was exported as dried powder from India to Roman empire 2000 years ago, mainly as a medicine. Arabs traded in ginger for centuries and carried the rhizomes to East Africa to plant them on the coasts of Zanzibar. People have valued the qualities of ginger for more than 5000 years. The earliest use as a flavouring agent pre-dates the historical records but its origin is uncertain, though it is believed to have originated in Southern China. In the 5th century AD and before the potted plants were carried along the maritime trade routes of Indian Ocean and South China Sea. In South Asia it has a long history of use. The Hindu epic, Mahabharata, describes a meal where meat is stewed with ginger and other spices. Ginger was also a plant of immense importance in Ayurveda. It was mentioned as a flavouring agent for buttermilk drinks in the Manasollasa literature in the 11th century AD. With the advent of the Muslim rule in the 13th century AD its use in food became widespread. The culinary use of ginger in Asia dates back to 4400 years. In France, it was used around 1200. It was known that in Senegal, West Africa, it has been used in love rituals and women wore belts of ginger rhizomes to arouse their partner’s desire. In 1800s, the Eclectics used the powder for relief from many digestive complaints like indigestion, gas, nausea and infant diarrhoea. In Africa, this was used to treat yellow fever and malaria.