India exports several dried ginger products: whole or split dry ginger, ginger powder, and machine-dried ginger slices, flakes and granules. Dry ginger is one of India's traditional spice exports.
Ginger is a spice, so it falls under the Spices Board of India. Your exporter should hold a valid CRES registration, as explained in our guide to Spices Board registration.
The main product types
- Whole dry ginger: peeled or partly peeled rhizomes, sun dried. In Hindi it is called sonth or saunth.
- Split or sliced dry ginger: rhizomes cut before drying so they dry faster and more evenly.
- Bleached and unbleached dry ginger: some traditional dry ginger was treated to give a pale surface. Many buyers now ask for unbleached product only.
- Ginger powder: ground from dry ginger, sold by mesh size and used in blends, bakery, drinks and supplements.
- Dehydrated ginger flakes and granules: fresh ginger washed, sliced and dried in mechanical dryers, then cut to size.
Where it comes from
Kerala has a long history in dry ginger, and names such as Cochin ginger and Calicut ginger come from the old trade. Fresh ginger is grown in several states, including Kerala, Karnataka and the north-eastern states. The source of the raw ginger and the place of drying are often different, so ask both questions.
Ginger is a rhizome harvested months after planting. Arrival and drying seasons vary by region. Confirm the current crop timing with the supplier before you plan a contract.
Quality points for dried ginger
Sun-dried ginger carries more field and handling risk than product dried in a closed dryer. Your specification should cover the points below, with limits suited to your product and market.
- Moisture: a maximum agreed for the form. Damp ginger moulds in transit.
- Volatile oil and pungency: these carry the flavour. Ask for typical values on the certificate of analysis.
- Fibre and starch: these affect texture in powder. Older rhizomes are more fibrous.
- Mould, aflatoxin and ochratoxin: a known risk in sun-dried rhizomes.
- Total plate count, yeast and mould, and Salmonella: many buyers need steam sterilised powder.
- Pesticide residues and heavy metals: tested against the limits in your own market.
- Lime or sulphur residues: if you want unbleached product, say so in the spec and ask for a declaration.
Powder or whole?
Buying whole or sliced dry ginger lets you inspect the raw material and grind it yourself. It reduces the risk of hidden adulteration, which is harder to detect once a product is powdered.
Buying powder saves you a grinding step but puts more weight on the supplier's grinding hygiene and testing. If you buy powder, test each lot and keep the sealed approval sample. The same logic is set out in our article on whole spices versus ground powders.
How we help
We trace where the ginger is grown and where it is dried, audit the drying and grinding units, and send sealed samples to an NABL-accredited lab for micro, mycotoxin and residue tests. For a ginger enquiry, begin with a free sourcing review.