Bentong ginger can be used for many things, from improving health to enhancing food flavour

If you mention Bentong, a sleepy district in Pahang, there’s a good chance that the word ginger will come up in conversation. Within the district is a small town called Bukit Tinggi, famous for its rhizome, which is more aromatic, spicy, and pricey than regular ginger. Due to its high quality and demand, Bentong Ginger, as it is called, is the most popular ginger in Malaysia. Farmers who practise commercial agriculture have been planting this ginger on the hilly slopes of Bukit Tinggi for over a century. Apparently, early migrants from Southern China brought ginger with them because they used it extensively in their cooking. Interestingly, they discovered that ginger grew better in Bukit Tinggi than it did back in their homeland!

As a result of the clean, fresh air and fertile soil that the temperate region is blessed with, Bentong ginger is rich in nutrients such as gingerol, which has medicinal benefits. It can aid in the relief of nausea, and vomiting. Bentong ginger can also help prevent colds, control cholesterol, and treat respiratory conditions. It has a thinner skin and can be consumed immediately after cleaning. What’s more, Bentong ginger retains its freshness for up to a month, whereas regular ginger begins to dry and shrink after one to two weeks. In the kitchen, ginger can be used in many ways. To flavour soups and rice, whole, unpeeled ginger is added to water and other cooking liquids. In some cuisines, pickled ginger is used as a condiment. Fried rice and stir-fries, meat marinades and glazes, and vinaigrettes all benefit from minced ginger.

• Bukit Tinggi, Bentong is 25.5 kilometres away from Tropicana Grandhill, Genting Highlands.