Galangal

[LivingParadise]

So I planted galangal, which is a plant similar to ginger but with a different flavor, that is popular in Thai food. And I must say, it is happier in drought, and healthier so far than my forays into various gingers, particularly as this is the dry season.

So if you have terrible soil, and marked drought periods, this might be a sturdy one to try. Unfortunately, I am not as fond of the taste as I am of the other similar plants. But it's healthy, and thus far I don't mess with anything under the soil, I only harvest leaves occasionally as a spice, like for soups that employ the coconuts from my yard. I have high hopes this one will last a long time here.

[Chandramohan]

Slices of the rhizome gives a nice flavour to clear soups and the slices can be eaten.

[Gambit]

Google for "Tom Kha Gai" recipes. The ginger ingredient for this Thai soup actually galangal. This link has a pretty authentic Tom Kha Gai
http://rasamalaysia.com/tom-kha-gai-recipe-thai-coconut-chicken-soup/2/

[murahilin]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galangal

Wikipedia says there are 4 different species that are referred to as galangal. Which one are you referring to?

[Gambit]

Most likely A. galanga, wasn't aware of the other spp. Positive that this is the one in oriental markets.

[DimplesLee]

In the Phils langkawas means lesser galangal - A officinarum. In the local pinoy supermarkets greater galangal is tagged as Thai galangal or Thai ginger and the lesser galangal plain langkawas or "local galangal". So Thai recipes probably means A galanga. 

[LivingParadise]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galangal

Wikipedia says there are 4 different species that are referred to as galangal. Which one are you referring to?

I don't know - the plant I bought was only labeled as "galangal." I've never heard of any other kind. This tastes the same as the spice I bought, which is also simply labeled "galangal." I'm guessing whichever one is most commonly used Thai galangal, and known that way in the US. It has rather pointed narrow leaves, compared to the gingers I've grown. Kind of like bamboo leaves.

[Chandramohan]

A. galanga is a plant which looks like Cardamomum plant, with smaller, pointed leaves. It flowers and fruits at the tip of leaf bracts. The fruits look like cardamom,but tastes very strong. Lesser galangal is Kaempfera.galanga, which is a small plant that can be grown in pots and looks like a big 'lotus flower'.

[LivingParadise]

Thank you, Chandramohan, for that explanation. My plant looks nothing like Kaempferia galanga. But its leaves are narrower than photos I am finding online of Alipinia galanga - although it is definitely a lot closer to that one. I wonder if there are other varieties/species close to A. galanga, but with narrow pointy leaves like mine? Or if this is just a natural variance, maybe compounded by the fact that my plant is still young.

[Chandramohan]

If yr plant is young, then the leaves are narrower. Did you buy from a dependable source? Because there are other Alpinias which look similar.

[LivingParadise]

Thanks - it would make sense then because it is still young. Semi dependable source. I don't know that there is such a thing as an extremely reliable source in the US when it comes to anything labeled "galangal," which is not common at all to find in the US. Any commercial nursery here in the contiguous 48 states will tend to make mistakes when identifying any tropical plants, since the US (outside of Hawaii, very far SFL, and territories) is not tropical. So I wouldn't be shocked if it was a related species, but as long as it has the flavor it so far seems to have, that's fine with me. So far, in tasting it in small quantities, it did not poison me - and that's the thing that matters to me. I have another Alpinia species which is not edible, and at least this clearly looks very different from that one.

[Mike T]

There is only one galangal Alpinia galanga. Kencur, krachai (I grow all 3 of these) and a number of other much smaller species mistakenly called galangal are not the real thing.This species gets big and needs to be controlled.It is common here and easy to identify and more importantly an essential ingredient in thai cooking as is krachai.

[junglevulture]

I too find myself using the leaves of my Galangal (Alpinia galanga) to flavor soups, etc because I'm impatiently waiting for my first harvest. The flavor imparted by the leaves is so much more subdued though, and I love the intensity that the rhizome offers. Its surprising how difficult it was to acquire where I am, so I've (quite impatiently) dedicated all I have found during the past year to cultivation.

My favorite thing to use the root as a spice for is Chicken Foot Stock. It has the perfect earthy depth to add to the savory-ness of the gelatin. Only other thing I put is sea salt, and its so good just like that.

[lebmung]

Galangal likes shade, and 3 months of dry season, that is the time when all the nutrients go into the rhizome.
By the way they can be started by seeds also, seeds are rare because no one collects them in their habitat.

[Chandramohan]

I will have seeds in a months time.

[A.T. Hagan]

This is an interesting thread. I just this month acquired some Galangal (A. Galangal) of which I'm pretty certain of the i.d. The month before I also picked up some turmeric and green cardamom plants.

Any tips for keeping them all happy?

[Mugenia]

Galangal is easy. Just stick it into the ground and give it some mulch and plenty of water. I love galangal.

[lebmung]

Keep water away during winter. They root rot easily.

[A.T. Hagan]

Yes, many have said that.  I'm going with a somewhat raised bed for these so that shouldn't be a problem.

[Lumi-Ukko]

Rather than start a new topic, I thought I would pop it in here to continue the discussion on a little talked about tropical edible.

Living here in Mexico, it is surprisingly impossible to get my hands on Galangal Rhizomes (var. Alpinia). I live in Merida Yucatan which has an almost perfect climate and environment for growing it, but cannot get my hands on the easy to grow rhizome.  I have tried my local Facebook gardening groups to have many of asking me to share a source for the plant/rhizome should i get my hands on it.

Recently (November last year), I did get my hands on the very rare Alpinia seeds but as yet I have not managed to get any to germinate. I have tried sowing to HP pro mix medium plus Perlite and greenhousing the pots, scarifying and soaking and adding to wet paper towel, solo wet paper towel, and lastly scarifing soaking in 400ppm GA3 for 24 hrs and leaving in a wet paper towel.  So far, not one method has germinated a single seed.  So I guess my question is to anyone in the know, am I wasting my time with the seeds?  Does anyone have any other suggestions for me to try?

[khachaturian]

Check Las Cañadas for rhizomes, I bought mine there last year. I bought two plants because they were out of rhizomes.

I read that galangal seeds are usually not viable or have very low germination rates. I don't know whether that's true or not.

[Lumi-Ukko]

Check Las Cañadas for rhizomes, I bought mine there last year. I bought two plants because they were out of rhizomes.

I read that galangal seeds are usually not viable or have very low germination rates. I don't know whether that's true or not.

Thank you so much for your reply! I never knew of Las Cañadas as a resource and they have a great selection, including as you say, Galangal plants and rhizomes.

Like you mentioned, I also understood that the galangal seeds had low germination rates but I have about 50 seeds none of which have taken. I thought maybe I'd get a couple to sprout

Nevertheless, I'll contact Las Cañadas as they're the only source I've come across for actual living specimens.

Lastly, as you're in MX, I would be very interested to exchange seeds or cuttings for anything unusual that you might have or interested in from I, if that interests you.

[khachaturian]

Lastly, as you're in MX, I would be very interested to exchange seeds or cuttings for anything unusual that you might have or interested in from I, if that interests you.

Look for FB group "Frutas raras en México". It's a good start if you're looking for a trade in MX (yes, I know, can be hard sometimes).

[Lumi-Ukko]

Lastly, as you're in MX, I would be very interested to exchange seeds or cuttings for anything unusual that you might have or interested in from I, if that interests you.

Look for FB group "Frutas raras en México". It's a good start if you're looking for a trade in MX (yes, I know, can be hard sometimes).

Thank you again for the recommendations!