Abstract:To characterize differences in the main nutrient composition of different ginger varieties，12 prominent ginger varieties were obtained from Shandong Province as the research objects，and 9 component nutrients were assessed as representative indicators by principal component analysis and cluster analysis.The results showed that spiciness was the most significant difference among the 12 ginger varieties.Principal component analysis showed that the 9 quality indicators represented principal components，comprising an 88.32% cumulative contribution to total variance.Among the 12 ginger varieties，the comprehensive qualities of Changyi ginger，Laiwu baby ginger，and Anqu ginger were best.Cluster analysis of the three principal components showed that Changyi ginger was suitable for extracting characteristic ingredients for consumption or flavoring of other foods.Changyi turmeric was suitable for processing sugar ginger，ginger slices，and pickled ginger.