2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Galangal / Alpinia Galanga / is an extremely popular spice throughout Southeast Asia. It is especially typical for the favorite of many Thai cuisine. The homeland of the galangal is the island of Hainan in China. It is grown in Thailand, southern China and the island of Java - Indonesia.
The spice is widely used in India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is part of the Chinese mixture five spice powder. Galangal is botanically close to ginger, but cannot be considered its culinary substitute.
However, the galangal is very similar to its relative - it has tall bamboo-like stems that bear consecutively arranged elongated leaves. Both plants have very strong fleshy rhizomes, which are actually the reason for the great noise and world fame of these two species.
History of the galangal
The name of galangal originates from the Chinese Liang-tiang and the Arabic Khalanjan. The Latin name for galangal is given in honor of Prospero Alpini - an Italian botanist who first described and categorized this very exotic plant.
In Europe, they met him thanks to the Romans, who received it from Arab merchants. The root of the galangal was valued no less than that of ginger. In the Middle Ages it was popular as a remedy. The decoction of galangal has been used to stimulate the appetite, to strengthen the stomach and against colic.
Selection and storage of galangal
Unfortunately, if you do not plan a trip outside Bulgaria to any of these destinations, you can not get galangal in the form of dried or fresh roots in our country. Recently, some of the larger grocery stores have been selling jars of galangal paste, which can be used very successfully to add flavor and taste to distant exotic dishes.
If you still get fresh roots galangal, you need to peel them from the outer bark and cut them into rectangular pieces no longer than 8 cm. They are dried in the sun. When well dried, they turn brownish on the outside and orange-red on the inside.
Galangal in cooking
Galangal is an integral part of Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese cuisine. Its fresh rhizomes have a very strong and fresh aroma, reminiscent of a mixture of lemon peel, camphor and pine resin. It has a pleasant spicy taste, which is by no means intrusive.
In Thai cuisine, the use of galangal can be reduced to three main ways - finely chopped roots are fried in fat / often with garlic / at the beginning of cooking; crushed galangal roots are one of the main ingredients of curry pastes; the thin slices of the roots give the amazing taste of the spicy sour soup with tom yam shrimp or tom kha - chicken soup with coconut milk.
The scent of galangal is used just as intensively in Indonesian cuisine. Powdered dried rhizomes are used to flavor the traditional sweet soy sauce - ketchup manis.
Like ginger, galangal goes very well with garlic, cinnamon, turmeric and coconut milk. Dried and ground galangal is much more spicy than fresh roots and is closest to ginger.
Benefits of galangal
Galangal has very good anti-inflammatory properties, its consumption is very useful in arthritis. It helps to relieve the discomfort caused as a result of the inflammatory process in the stomach and ulcers. Galangal contains a high amount of antioxidants that help minimize the damage caused by free radicals and other toxins in the body.
To improve blood circulation in the body, turn on galangal in your menu. A few slices of galangal soothe an upset stomach. It soothes nausea and seasickness symptoms. Consumption of galangal prevents influenza, relieves sore throat, cough, bronchitis. It is used to improve the work of the bile and liver.
Harm from galangal
Consumption of this root should not be overdone, because high doses of its essential oil can cause hallucinations. Pregnant and lactating women should avoid its use.
