galangal
Noun 1. A plant of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae): Specifically, it refers to either of two plants, Alpinia galanga (greater galangal) or Kaempferia galanga (lesser galangal), whose aromatic rhizomes are used as a spice and in traditional medicine. 2. A spice: The dried, sliced, or powdered rhizome (rootstalk) of the galangal plant, used for its pungent, citrusy, and pine-like flavor in cooking.
- As a plant:
- The chef grows fresh galangal in her garden for use in the restaurant's kitchen.
- Galangal is a key ingredient in many traditional Southeast Asian remedies.
- As a spice:
- The soup's distinctive flavor comes from slices of galangal.
- You can substitute ginger for galangal, but the flavor profile will be different.
- "Greater galangal" (): The variety most commonly used in Thai and Indonesian cuisine. It has a sharper, more citrusy flavor.
- "Lesser galangal" (): A smaller plant with a more medicinal, camphor-like aroma, often used in traditional medicine and some specific regional dishes.
- Blue ginger: A common alternative name for greater galangal ().
- Galangal root: A common term used to specify the rhizome part used as a spice.
- Rhizome: The technical term for the underground plant stem (like ginger) that is harvested as galangal.
- Thai ginger: (Informal) Highlights its common use in Thai cuisine and its relation to ginger.
- Siamese ginger: (Archaic/Regional) An older term for greater galangal.
The provided reference context mentions a European sedge. This refers to a different, unrelated plant also historically called "galangal" or "galingale" (Cyperus longus), which has aromatic roots. In modern English, especially in culinary and common usage, "galangal" almost exclusively refers to the Southeast Asian spice from the ginger family. The European plant is now typically specified as "galingale" or "sweet cyperus" to avoid confusion.
- European sedge having rough-edged leaves and spikelets of reddish flowers and aromatic roots
- southeastern Asian perennial with aromatic roots