Hello, ladies, how are we doing today? It’s a cool and calm day on my side, thanks to the heavy downpour we had earlier. I honestly love the weather like this, smiles.
When I saw the post for this week’s contest, I was so curious about the topics. My mind went wild with guesses, but truthfully, I couldn’t figure it out. The ladies of Hive consistently amaze me with their thoughtful topics and how they resonate with our lives as women.
So, when I finally saw the topics, I just smiled and whispered to myself, “Why am I not surprised?” The twist was expected and refreshing.
Let me start with the first one: Spices make life and food enjoyable. If a spice could describe you and your personality, what would that spice be and why?
Without a doubt, that spice is ginger. It’s my darling, my one and only. Give me ginger and no other spice in this world, and I’ll still be content.
Ginger is both a spice and a medicinal rhizome from the roots of the Zingiber officinale plant. And trust me, I could give you a million reasons why it perfectly reflects my personality.
Is it the hot and spicy flavour? The unforgettable aroma it gives every dish? Or maybe the soothing smell of freshly brewed ginger tea? I could go on and on.
But for me, ginger goes far beyond taste. Living with sickle cell disorder, I’ve made deliberate efforts to improve my nutrition as part of my treatment, and ginger has been a major companion on this journey.
It’s packed with antioxidants that protect my cells from early damage.
It’s anti-inflammatory, helping me manage the pain and swelling that come with sickle cell.
I chew ginger whenever I feel nauseous (anyone close to me knows they’ll always find fresh ginger in my bag, LOL).
When I suspect I have a cough or cold, ginger is my go-to remedy. It supports my already compromised immune system.
Even though ginger is currently like gold here in Nigeria, expensive and scarce, I still manage to find it because I can’t do without it. In fact, my healthy drinks business was born mainly out of my love for ginger.
One of my best-selling products is even called Ginger Xclusive. If my friends and family had to rename me after a spice, they would surely call me Ginger.
Now, for the second part: If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, what are you looking forward to in the fall season?
For me, it’s the rain and the abundance it brings. Recently, a period of drought-like conditions occurred in my part of Nigeria, affecting farmers and consumers alike.
Prices of food items remained high during a season when they were supposed to be cheaper and plentiful, including my beloved ginger.
But with the rains returning, I’m hopeful. Ginger usually takes 8–10 months to mature, and the harvest season is near. With consistent rainfall through October and November, I look forward to abundant harvests and lower prices for farm produce, especially ginger.
And you know what I think? I have begun to see the signs, because my last purchase was fresher and slightly better in price than in the past few weeks. This has actually raised my hopes, and I pray they are not dashed.
I am looking forward to the harvesting period impatiently.
Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day. 💛