Galangal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Galangal, Malay lengkuas, Mandarin 高良薑(Traditional)/高良姜(Simplified), Cantonese lam keong, also known as blue ginger), is a rhizome with culinary and medicinal uses, best known in the west today for its appearance in Southeast asia cuisine but also common in recipes from medieval Europe. It resembles ginger in appearance. However, it tastes little like ginger; in its raw form, it has a soapy, earthy aroma and a pine-like flavor with a faint hint of citrus. It is available as a powder from vendors of Oriental spices and also available in whole, cut or powdered from vendors of herbs. Also known as galingale or laos (its Indonesian name). A mixture of galangal and lime juice is used as a tonic in parts of Southeast Asia. Medicinally, it has the effect of an aphrodisiac, and acts as a stimulant.
The word galangal, or its variant galanga is used as a common name for all members of the genus Alpinia, but in common usage can refer to four plants, all in the Zingiberaceae:
- Alpinia galanga or greater galangal
- Alpinia officinarum or lesser galangal
- Kaempferia galanga, also called lesser galangal or sand ginger
- Boesenbergia pandurata, also called Chinese ginger or fingerroot
A. galanga is also known as Chewing John, Little John Chew and galanga root. Under these names, it is used in folk medicine and in voodoo charms (see John the Conqueror for related lore).
[edit] External links
- Alpinia officinarum (Galangal) King's American Dispensatory @ Henriette's Herbal
- Galangal (Alpinia officinarum) Mrs. Grieve's "A Modern Herbal" @ Botanical.com
- Galangal (Alpinia galanga) Gernot Katzer's Spice Pagesde:Galgant
fr:Galanga id:Kencur ms:Calsur pl:Galangal ru:Калган
