A Brief History of Ing Makhir Ginger

Ing Makhir is a variety of ginger native to Meghalaya that is highly valued for its strong medicinal properties as compared to the common ginger root. Ing Makhir contains zingiberene, an essential oil that contributes its strong distinct flavour.

An age-old tradition of the Khasis used a herbal formulation comprising of Ing Makhir ginger and other herbs to treat an ailment found in new-borns or infants known as “Niangsohpet” (‘Niang’ means germs and ‘sohpet’ means navel in the Khasi dialect).

This ancient folk remedy contains a mixture of various herbs which also include Ing Makhir as an effective ingredient.

Though Ing Makhir is utilized and valued for its uses in medicine, the rhizome is also used to make one of Meghalaya’s most famous ethnic side dishes- Tungrymbai which is a popular fermented soybean chutney.