The underground stem of the ginger plant that is used as a spice and has a hot, peppery flavor.
Compound of 'ginger' (from Sanskrit śṛṅgavera) and 'root' (from Old English wyrt). The term became common in English during the medieval period when ginger trade flourished along spice routes.
Gingerroot was so valuable in medieval Europe that it was taxed like luxury goods—a single pound could cost as much as a sheep! Today it's still one of the most traded spices globally, and cultures from Japan to Jamaica have built entire cuisines around its warming properties.
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