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Galangal

Galangal

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Subkingdom:	Tracheobionta
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Liliopsida
Subclass:	Zingiberidae
Order:	Zingiberales
Family:	Zingiberaceae
Genus:	*Alpinia*

Species

Alpinia galanga
Alpinia mutica
Alpinia officinarum
Alpinia purpurata
Alpinia zerumbet
Ref: ITIS 182548

Galangal is a root with culinary and medicinal uses, best known in the west today for its appearance in Thai cuisine but also common in recipes from medieval Europe. It resembles ginger in appearance and taste but has an extra citrus aroma, with a slight hint of soapiness. It is available as a powder from vendors of Oriental spices and whole, cut, or powdered from vendors of herbs. Also known as galingale or Laos (its Indonesian name). Coincidentally, it is one of the most prominent herbs in Lao cuisine.

The word galangal, or its variant galanga is used as a common name for all members of Alpinia, but in common usage can refer to three plants, all in the zingiberaceae:

Alpinia galanga or Greater galangal
Alpinia officinarum or Lesser galangal
Kaempferia galanga, 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.

Referenced By

List of Thailand-related topics | List of Thailand related topics | List of herbs | List of herbs and spices

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Galangal".