Sonth or ginger powder is an ingredient that we find in Indian kitchens. This powder is added to garam masala, chai masala and digestive powders. It has a fragrant, earthy scent that adds a depth of flavour to food. Unlike fresh ginger, dry ginger has a more concentrated, woody taste.
What is saunth, sonth or ginger powder?
Ginger is one of the oldest spice in the world with India being the largest grower. Saunth is a powder made of dried ginger, which has many culinary and medicinal uses. Fresh ginger roots are first cleaned thoroughly, peeled and dried in the sun before powdering them and stored in jars
Sonth has many uses in cooking. It's commonly used as a part of the garam masala mix. Dry ginger is also a part of tea masala. Dried ginger is also part of the famed pumpkin spice mix along with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
Unlike fresh ginger, which is spicier, dried ginger doesn't have the distinct sting, but rather a stronger aroma and a more intense flavour. For the same reason, dried ginger brings in a different flavour altogether, and is not exactly a substitute for the same. Here's a quick recipe for making sonth or ginger powder.
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Dried ginger nutrition
100 grams of saunth or dried ginger contains the following nutrients:
| Nutrition | Measurement (Daily Value) |
| Calories | 80 (4%) |
| Total fat | 0.7 gm (1%) |
| Saturated fat | 0.2 gm (1%) |
| Protein | 1.8 gm (4%) |
| Carbohydrates | 17.8 gm (6%) |
| Dietary fibre | 2 gm (8%) |
| Vitamin C | 5 mg (8%) |
| Vitamin E | 0.3 mg (1%) |
| Niacin | 0.7 mg (4%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.2 mg (8%) |
| Folate | 11 mcg (3%) |
| Choline | 28.8 mg |
| Iron | 0.6mg (3%) |
| Magnesium | 43 mg (11%) |
| Phosphorus | 34 mg (3%) |
| Potassium | 415 mg (12%) |
| Zinc | 0.3 gm (2%) |
| Copper | 0.2 mg (11%) |
| Manganese | 0.2 mg (11%) |
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Health benefits of ginger powder or sonth
Dried ginger has long been used as a spice and medicinal herb due to its rich reserves of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Ginger contains bioactive compounds like gingerol and shogaols, which has anti-cancer properties.
Here are some health benefits of dried ginger.
- Good for heart health
- Reduces blood pressure
- Reduces blood sugar
- Prevents nausea and vomiting
- Has cancer-fighting properties
- Improves digestion
- Protects against diseases
- Lowers cholesterol
- Relieves menstrual cramps
- Relieves joint pain from osteoarthritis
- Soothes muscle pain
- Antimicrobial
- Treats dysentery and diarrhoea
- Improves appetite
- Soothes cough and bronchitis
- Prevents gas, bloating and flatulence
- Prevents acidity and heartburn
- Acts as a laxative
- Warms the body
- Prevents and treats migraines
- Protects nerve health
- Good for heart health: The addition of dried ginger is good for the heart since it can alleviate many cardiovascular diseases by lowering blood pressure and blood sugar. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-clot, anti-hypertensive and anti-cholesterol effects in the body.
- Fights cancer growth: Ginger has been found to be effective in preventing gastrointestinal cancers such as gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer and colorectal cancer. It has cancer-fighting compounds such as gingerol, shogaol and paradol.
- Improves gut health: Dried ginger is a panacea for a wide gamut of gastrointestinal issues. Used as a medicine as well as a spice in ancient India and China, ginger powder has been used to treat gastrointestinal diseases, nausea during pregnancy or travel, colic, gas, bloating, heartburn, flatulence and diarrhoea. In Ayurveda, ginger powder or saunth is prescribed to enhance digestion.
- Keeps infections at bay: Due to its powerful antimicrobial powers, dried ginger can keep pathogens at bay. Studies have shown that ginger and its compounds -- gingerol and shagaol -- play a key role in preventing microbial growth, most notably against E.Coli, Salmonella and Bacillus subtilis.
References:
1. Rahmani, A. H., Shabrmi, F. M., & Aly, S. M. (2014). Active ingredients of ginger as potential candidates in the prevention and treatment of diseases via modulation of biological activities. International journal of physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology, 6(2), 125–136.
2. Choi, Y. Y., Kim, M. H., Hong, J., Kim, S. H., & Yang, W. M. (2013). Dried Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) Inhibits Inflammation in a Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Mouse Model. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2013, 914563. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/914563
3. Prasad, S., & Tyagi, A. K. (2015). Ginger and its constituents: role in prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal cancer. Gastroenterology research and practice, 2015, 142979. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/142979\
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