Ginger is a herbaceous plant of the same genus and family. In Russian, ginger most often in recent years is called only the rhizome of the plant itself, although they are just a spice, i.e. part of the whole plant. Horseradish also refers to the same kind of horseradish, to the cabbage family.
Both plants are herbaceous and perennial, but they belong to different families and their similarity is very distant. This article describes in detail what is the difference between ginger and horseradish, as well as a description of the plants and their comparison.
Biological description
Root from the cabbage family
Horseradish root is thick and fleshy. Its stem is straight and reaches a height of 100-150 centimeters. The leaves near the root are rather large and oblong, and at the base, in the form of a heart. The lower leaves are pinnate or oblong-lanceolate, and the upper ones are linear.
Calyx plant has a length of about 3 millimeters. Petals reach 6-7 millimeters, themselves white and short. The fruits of the plant are oblong, swollen pods about 5 millimeters long.
Ginger root
Its common name is pharmacy ginger. Its roots are by origin paranasal and form a fibrous root structure. Very often, an altered shoot is taken as the root, extending into the ground, from which only the roots themselves depart.
The stem is erect and rounded, and the internodes do not exceed one centimeter. The leaves are sequential and simple, whole and have a pointed top. The base of the leaf is similar to horseradish leaves - heart-shaped. Ginger fruit is presented in the form of a box with three wings.
Are these plants the same or not?
No, it is not, because it is ginger - cereal (monocotyledonous plants), and horseradish refers to the cruciferous (dicotyledonous). In addition, they have no similarities. They grow in different ways, their rhizomes develop in different directions.
Difference
Appearance
Their appearance is very different. Horseradish leaves are much less resilient and curl when ginger leaves grow straight. Himself horseradish is more like a cabbage bush, and ginger is a flowering plant. Only root vegetables are a little similar.
History of origin
Ginger was imported to Europe from Asia and in the early stages of its distribution was considered a “miraculous” root that can cure any possible disease. Later, its roots began to be applied everywhere, both for food and medicinal purposes. Horseradish, on the contrary, was brought from Europe to all other parts of the world.
Chemical composition
Obo they have in their composition a large amount of essential oils, which give them such a specific smell and taste.
Horseradish has in its composition:
- ascorbic acid;
- thiamine;
- riboflavin;
- carotene;
- fatty oil;
- starch;
- carbohydrates (about 74%);
- resinous substances.
Ginger consists of:
- camphene;
- cineole;
- bisabolene;
- borneol;
- citral;
- linalool.
Benefit and harm
Both plants have similar medical effects when consumed.. They both have a beneficial effect on the body, if moderately consumed. But horseradish, for example, can help with high blood pressure, gradually reducing it, and ginger does not have this property anyway, and vice versa, is contraindicated at high pressure.
We offer to watch a video about the benefits of ginger and precautions when using it:
We also offer to watch a video about the benefits and dangers of horseradish:
Growing up
Horseradish is an unpretentious plant that is fairly easy to grow. Caring for him is very simple and consists of periodic prokalki and watering plants. Ginger requires better conditions. He is dependent on heat and can not tolerate the cold season. In its wild form it is practically absent and for the most part it is grown in gardens and greenhouses.
Using
The use of horseradish and ginger is generally similar, but the latter has slightly more medicinal properties.
Both root vegetables are used in cooking as spices, adding a tart taste to the main dish. Ginger is used when adding to tea, which cannot be said about horseradish.
What and when to choose?
In cooking, choose horseradish or ginger is necessary on the basis of what dish to prepare and from the personal preferences of the person. The root of the latter has a more refined taste and is often simply marinated, while the former is more rigid and is used in various types of seasonings and sauces.
In general, both roots are very similar to each other, but among the plants themselves and the ways of using the roots, they differ radically. Differences lie even in trifles, for example, ginger almost does not grow in the wild, which can not be said about horseradish.
