GINGER: How Red is Red?

[Steve]

Well, this is almost rediculously off-topic, but when I'm too
embarassed to ask questions like this in real life, it's nice to have
an on-line community that I can turn too.


How and why is 'ginger' associated with the color Red?

I have been in Asian resaurants and seen bowls of red tinted ginger
(peeled and thinly sliced) which people eat with their meals as an aid
to digestion, that and the fact that it taste good; but I've never
been able to find red ginger anywhere else. I've looked in health food
stores, general grocery stores, and Asian food stores and the ginger I
find always has a light brownish-tan exterior and a somewhat off-white
flesh. All the powdered ginger-spice I've seen has always been a light
tan color. 

I have no idea how Asian resaurants get their red ginger or how they
get it to turn red; maybe it's some special process. But I've never
found any ginger anywhere, other than that one resaurant case, that
was even remotely red.

So, why is ginger associated with the color red?

I'm open to any thoughts and suggestion.

Thank a bunch.

bboy_mn