636 ZINGIBERACEiE. 



The merchants of Italy, about the middle of the 14th century, knew 

 three kinds of ginger, called respectively Belledi, Colomhhio, and 

 Micchino. These terms may be explained thus: — Belledi or Baladi is 

 an Arabic word, which, as applied to ginger, would signify count rf/ or 

 wild, i.e. common rjimjer. Colomhhio refers to Columbum, Kolam or 

 Quilon, a port in Travancore frequently mentioned in the middle ages. 

 Ginger termed Micchino denotes that the spice had been brought from 

 or by way of Mecca.^ 



Ginger preserved in syrup, and sometimes called Green Ginger, was 

 also imported during the middle ages, and regarded as a delicacy of 

 the choicest kind. 



The plant aftbrding ginger must have been known to Marco Polo 

 (circa 1280-90), who speaks of observing it both in China and India. 

 John of Montecorvino, who visited India about 1292 (see p. 521), 

 describes ginger as a plant like a flag, the root of which can be dug 

 up and transported. Nicolo Conti also gave some description of the 

 plant and of the collection of the root, as witnessed by him in India.'^ 



The Venetians received ginger by way of Egypt; yet some of the 

 superior kinds were conveyed from India overland by the Black Sea, 

 as stated by Marino Sanudo' about 130G. 



Ginger was introduced into America by Francisco de Mendo9a, 

 who took it from the East Indies to New Spain.'* It was shipped for 

 commercial purposes from the Island of St. Domingo as early at least as 

 1585; and from Barbados in 1654.^ According to Renny," 22,053 cwt. 

 were exported from the West Indies to Spain in 1547. 



Description — Ginger is known in two forms, namely the rhizome 

 dried with its epidermis, in which case it is called coated; or deprived 

 of epidermis, and then termed scraped or uncoated. The pieces, which 

 are called by the spice-dealers races or hands, rarely exceed 4 inches in 

 length, and have a somewhat palmate form, being made up of a series 

 of short, laterally compressed, lobe-like shoots or knobs, the summit of 

 each of which is marked by a depression indicating the former attach- 

 ment of the leafy stem. 



To produce the uncoated ginger, which is that preferred for medicinal 

 use, the fresh rhizome is scraped, washed, and then dried in the sun. 



Thus prepared, it has a pale buff hue, and a striated, somewhat 

 fibrous surface. It breaks easily, exhibiting a short and farinaceous 

 fracture with numerous bristle-like fibres. When cut with a knife the 

 younger or terminal portion of the rhizome appears pale yellow, soft 

 and amylaceous, while the older part is flinty, hard and resinous. 



Coated ginger, or that which has been dried without the removal of 

 the epidermis, is covered with a wrinkled, striated brown integument, 

 which imparts to it, a somewhat coarse and crude appearance, which is 

 usually remarkably less developed on the flat parts of the rhizome. 

 Internally, it is usually of a less bright and delicate hue than ginger 



^ Yule, Book of Ser Marco Polo, ii. (1871) traen de nuestras Indias occidenlales,^&nW.&, 



316. — Spc, however, Heyd, Levantehandel, (1574) 99. 



II. (1879) 601. * Calendar of State Papers, Colonial 



^ See Appendix. Series, 1574-1660, Lond. 1860, p. 4; see also 



' Marinus Sanutus, Liber secretorurnfide- pp. 414, 434. 



Hum crucis, Hanovise (1611) 22. « Renny, Hist, of Jamaica, Lond. 1807. 



■* Monardes, Historia de las cosas que ae, 154. 



