The hard, pale rhizome of a Southeast Asian ginger relative, with a sharp, piney, citrus and peppery flavour. Essential in Thai soups and curry pastes, and once a staple of medieval Europe.
What it is¶
"Galangal" is a name shared by several rhizomes in the ginger family. The one most cooks mean is greater galangal, Alpinia galanga, the kha of Thai cooking and lengkuas or laos of Indonesia and Malaysia. Its rhizomes are thicker than ginger, pale cream to pinkish, with distinct darker rings and very hard, fibrous flesh.
Related plants sold under similar names:
- Lesser galangal, Alpinia officinarum: smaller, reddish-brown and more pungent; the galangal of Chinese medicine and medieval Europe.
- Kencur, Kaempferia galanga, sometimes also called "lesser galangal" or sand ginger: small, with a camphor-like aroma, used in Indonesian cooking.
- Fingerroot, Boesenbergia rotunda (Thai krachai): finger-shaped clusters used in Thai jungle curries and fish dishes.
Galangal is also not the same as the sedge Cyperus longus, which English speakers also call galingale.
Origins and history¶
Greater galangal is native to Southeast Asia, and lesser galangal to southern China, where it was used medicinally for many centuries. Arab traders carried galangal westward, and by the Middle Ages it was one of the standard spices of European cooking, used in sauces, spiced wines and medicines. The twelfth-century abbess Hildegard of Bingen recommended it, and in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales the Cook adds "galyngale" to his dishes. See medieval-spice-cookery.
Like many medieval spices, it faded from European kitchens after the seventeenth century, surviving mainly in a few herbal bitters and liqueurs. It remained central to Southeast Asian cooking, and its return to Western kitchens came mostly through Thai food.
Flavour and aroma¶
Galangal is sharper and more aromatic than ginger, and less sweet. Fresh greater galangal is piney, peppery and citrusy, with a clean, almost medicinal note of eucalyptus from 1,8-cineole. It has a hot bite but not ginger's lingering warmth. Dried galangal is woodier and more cinnamon-like; ground galangal is weaker still.
In the kitchen¶
- Thai soups. Thin slices simmered in stock with lemongrass and makrut lime leaves make the aromatic base of tom yum and tom kha gai (chicken and coconut soup). The slices are too woody to eat and are left in the bowl.
- Curry pastes. Pounded with chillies, shallots, garlic and lemongrass in red and green curry pastes and many others. See thai-cuisine.
- Indonesia and Malaysia. Bruised whole or pounded into bumbu spice pastes for rendang, soto and opor ayam. See indonesian-and-malaysian-cuisine.
- Other uses. Grated into marinades for grilled chicken and fish, and in Thai larb in some regions.
For a pot of soup for four, about 6–8 thin slices (a 5 cm piece). For a curry paste, 1–2 tbsp chopped. It is much harder than ginger, so use a heavy knife and cut it thinly across the grain before pounding; a food processor struggles unless it is finely chopped first.
Buying and storing¶
Fresh galangal keeps for two to three weeks in the fridge, wrapped in paper, and freezes excellently: slice before freezing and use straight from the freezer. Many Asian grocers sell it frozen, which is better than dried. Dried slices keep for a year and should be soaked before use; ground galangal fades quickly and is a poor substitute for fresh.
Substitutes¶
Fresh ginger is the usual stand-in, with a little lime zest or a few crushed black peppercorns to sharpen it; use slightly less ginger than the galangal called for. The result is good but noticeably different, especially in tom kha. Ginger is not a substitute in the other direction: galangal is too sharp for gingerbread.
Pairs well with¶
lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, chilli, bird's eye chilli, coriander, turmeric, garlic, shallots, coconut milk, fish sauce, lime, chicken, prawns, mushrooms.
Did you know¶
💡 Tom kha without tears
The classic mistake with galangal is treating it like ginger and grating it into a soup. Slice it thinly, simmer it for at least 10 minutes to release its aroma, and warn guests not to chew the slices.