Ginger is common in sweet and savory dishes all over the world, and has been used to treat ailments for thousands of years. This spice is the root of the plant Zingiber officinale and can be used raw, dried, preserved, candied, turned into oil, and more — and no matter what you like to do with it, your ginger likely came from this one country.

Ginger is very popular in Asian cuisine, so it's no surprise that India produces the most ginger in the world and exported 996,041 metric tonnes in 2019 alone. India's warm, humid climate allows ginger to flourish, and the root has grown in the area for centuries, becoming essential to Indian preparations such as curries and garlic ginger paste.

The second-largest producer of ginger is China, followed by Nigeria, and it's easy to see why this spice is so popular. Ginger is not only delicious, but provides the consumer with the compound gingerol, which has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, helps fight nausea and osteoarthritis, and eases indigestion and menstrual pain.