This spice is probably one of the oldest and most popular medicines the fresh root which is spicy peppery and fragrant is good in both sweet and savoury dishes adding a a hot yet refreshing taste to them ground ginger is the usual choice for flavouring cakes biscuits and other baked goods this tuberous root is low in vitamins and minerals though it does contain some potassium its essential oil consists mainly of zingiberene bisabolene and faresene which are thought to be the main compo