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The Japanese ginger (Zingiber mioga) belongs to Zingiberaceae (the Ginger family). It is a perennial herb that is native to Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu in Japan and eastern Asia. The rhizomes spread under grounds and can reach 40-100 cm in height. The leaves are alternate and arranged in double rows. The flower clusters are borne on the young stems and bloom pale yellow flowers between many bracts from July to September. The fruits are extremely rare and ripen bright red. Japanese ginger is used as a spice vegetable only in Japan. Varieties include early, medium, and late strains, with "early myoga", "autumn myoga", "Jinda early myoga", and "Suwa No. 2 myoga" being the most famous. In Chinese, it is called "蘘荷" (rang he).
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