Zingiber officinale is a tall, erect perennial herb that grows to a height of nearly 4 ft. It has narrow spear-shaped leaves and scepter-like white or yellow flowers, grown directly from the root. The plant is easily propagated, by dividing the root or rhizomes, after flowering. Ginger Essential Oil is derived from the peelings of the Ginger root / bulb. The peelings are steam distilled to produce the essential oil. The color of the oil is pale-yellow to light amber. Ginger Essential Oil has a warm, fresh, woody-spicy scent.
It is suggested that Ginger is indigenous to South China, and quickly spread across the Asian continent and surrounding islands. Traditional dried ginger was shipped into Europe and the UK from the growing countries as a dried spice. The leftovers from spice grinding were then distilled for oil production. In Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine it is one of the most used ingredients.