Ginger is a tropical flowering plant that originally grew in Southeast Asia but is now widely available from growers around the world. The leafy plant grows to about three feet tall and produces clusters of greenish-purple flowers. It’s harvested by pulling the entire plant out of the soil, removing the leaves and cleaning the root.

Ginger can be eaten fresh, dried, and stored as a spice, or made into tablets, capsules, and liquid extracts. The demand for ginger in the international market has grown remarkably because the root is now being used as a raw material in the manufacturing process and in the cosmetic industry as a fragrance in soaps and beauty products.

1. Sun-Dried Split Ginger: The sun-dried split ginger is the most exported type of ginger from Benin. They are presented in a split dried form to increase the shelf life and to withstand the long journey of transportation from one country to another, and for further storage when reaching its destination.
2. Fresh Ginger: The fresh ginger is not in high demand of exportation from Benin. They are presented in their natural state, so the shelf life is shorter compared to the sun-dried split ginger. Because of this, fresh ginger needs to be exported as soon as harvested to prevent it from drying up.
3. Ginger Powder: The ginger powder is extracted from the ginger root which is dried. It is a fine off-white or slightly brownish powder that has a strong aroma and a pungent flavour. Ginger powder is easy to store, and it has a long shelf life of about one year.